Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

despotism

/ˈdɛspətɪzəm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.46 in modern English

Syllables: despo-tism
IPA: /ˈdɛspətɪzəm/

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Government by a despot or despots: rule by a singular authority, either a single person or a tight-knit group, which rules with absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"The iron hand of despotism has quenched the last spark of liberty; hunted down like a wild beast, I am watching an opportunity to fly my degraded and enslaved country."
"But now events have proved that I was right because Khrushchev's grandchildren do live in freedom and the great question of our time: can they continue to live in freedom, or will they revert to the old, or a new despotism?"

Etymology

From French despotisme; equivalent to despot + -ism.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: despotisme

Usage

Inflected Forms

despotisms (plural)

Phrases

enlightened despotism

Frequently Paired Words

despot despotate despotic

Synonyms

absolutism autocracy dictatorship tyranny authoritarianism caesarism monocracy one-man rule shogunate stalinism totalitarianism

Questions

How do you pronounce despotism?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdɛspətɪzəm/.
What does despotism mean?: Government by a despot or despots: rule by a singular authority, either a single person or a tight-knit group, which rules with absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.
Where does despotism come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce despotism

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “despotism”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈdɛspətɪzəm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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