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Noun: despotism  'de-spu`ti-zum
  1. Dominance through threat of punishment and violence
    - absolutism, tyranny
     
  2. A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
    - dictatorship, absolutism, authoritarianism, Caesarism, monocracy, one-man rule, shogunate, Stalinism, totalitarianism, tyranny

Derived forms: despotisms

Type of: ascendance, ascendancy, ascendence, ascendency, autarchy, autocracy, control, dominance

Encyclopedia: Despotism

Nearest

despoliation
despond
despondence
despondency
despondent
despondently
despot
despotic
despotical
despotically
despotism
desquamate
desquamation
dessert
dessert apple
dessert plate
dessert spoon
dessert wine
dessertspoon
dessertspoonful
dessiatine