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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, 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

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despondence
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desquamation
dessert
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dessiatine