Meaning & use
despot
A ruler with absolute power who governs cruelly or unjustly.
See it in a sentence
The despot silenced all political opposition and ruled the nation through fear.
Historians describe the emperor as a despot who taxed his people into poverty.
A note on using this word
Despot implies both absolute power and cruelty; compare with 'monarch,' which describes a role without judging how it is exercised.
Words with a similar meaning
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