Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to or of the nature of a despot or despotism; unlimited; arbitrary; tyrannical: as, a despotic ruler; despotic government or power; a despotic will.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having the character of, or pertaining to, a despot; absolute in power; possessing and abusing unlimited power; evincing despotism; tyrannical; arbitrary.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to a despot or tyrant.
  • adjective Acting or ruling as a despot, tyrannical.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty
  • adjective belonging to or having the characteristics of a despot
  • adjective ruled by or characteristic of a despot

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek δεσποτικός (despotikos) via French despotique.

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Examples

  • The US is approaching what I call despotic, with police carrying out absolutisic policy in the streets among our children.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2009

  • The US is approaching what I call despotic, with police carrying out absolutisic policy in the streets among our children.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2009

  • The US is approaching what I call despotic, with police carrying out absolutisic policy in the streets among our children.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2009

  • The US is approaching what I call despotic, with police carrying out absolutisic policy in the streets among our children.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2009

  • The US is approaching what I call despotic, with police carrying out absolutisic policy in the streets among our children.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2009

  • I understand that to be an A level history student you need to have a wide grasp of specialised vocabulary but can i realy be blamed for never hearing the word despotic before?

    [what have they done] the so-called educators 2009

  • I understand that to be an A level history student you need to have a wide grasp of specialised vocabulary but can i realy be blamed for never hearing the word despotic before?

    Archive 2009-06-01 2009

  • What must these men think today, these men like Benes and Masaryk who had seen their nation freed from those who held it in despotic control and given an opportunity to become a first rate democratic power.

    The Ides of March 1939

  • The Russian government, being despotic, is naturally inclined to be suspicious, and it has long been the custom to send off persons supposed to be dangerous to the state, to live in the intensely cold and remote district of Siberia.

    A Book of Golden Deeds 1864

  • Typical communist and Marxist crud coming from the Central American so called "leadership" that I call despotic scum who's main contributions to the world consist of tourism for the

    Chicagoray's Views and News 2009

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