despotism (n.)

  1. dominance through threat of punishment and violence

    [ Syn: 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.)

    [ Syn: dictatorship , absolutism , authoritarianism , caesarism , monocracy , one-man rule , shogunate , stalinism , totalitarianism , tyranny ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
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