despot
UK /ˈdɛs.pɒt/ · US /ˈdɛs.pət/ noun
Forms despots
- noun A ruler with absolute power; a tyrant.
- noun (historical) A title awarded to senior members of the imperial family in the late Byzantine Empire, and claimed by various independent or semi-autonomous rulers in the Balkans (12th to 15th centuries)
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle French despote, from Old French despote, from Medieval Latin despota, from Ancient Greek δεσπότης (despótēs, “lord, master, owner”). Cognate with Sanskrit दम्पति (dámpati).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A master; a lord; especially, an absolute or irresponsible ruler or sovereign.
- noun One who rules regardless of a constitution or laws; a tyrant.
Etymology [F. despote, LL. despotus, fr. Gr. potens. See Potent.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “despot”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details