Definition
A system of government where one person has complete power over others, often ruling cruelly and without concern for their rights.
Etymology
From French despotisme, derived from Greek despotes (master, ruler) and the suffix -ism (system or practice). The word entered European languages during the Enlightenment when political philosophers were critiquing absolute monarchies.
Kelly Says
During the Enlightenment, European thinkers borrowed 'despotism' from Greek to describe what they saw as outdated oriental tyranny—ironically, they didn't realize they were describing their own kings. The word became a weapon of intellectual rebellion.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
Despotism
de-spo-tism
ARالعربية
سلطوية
sult-awiyyah
BNবাংলা
অত্যাচার
at-ya-chaar
CACatalà
Despotisme
de-spo-tis-me
CSČeština
despotismus
de-spo-tis-mus
DADansk
despotisme
de-spo-tisme
DEDeutsch
Despotismus
de-spo-ti-mus
ELΕλληνικά
τυραννία
ty-ran-nia
ESEspañol
despotismo
de-spo-tis-mo
FISuomi
despotismi
de-spo-tis-mi
FRFrançais
despotisme
de-spo-tiz-me
GUGU
Despotism
de-spo-tism
HAHA
Despotism
de-spo-tism
HIहिन्दी
अत्याचार
a-tyaa-chaar
HUMagyar
despotizmus
de-spo-ti-z-mus
IDBahasa Indonesia
despotisme
de-spo-tis-me
IGIG
Despotism
de-spo-tism
ITItaliano
despotismo
de-spo-tis-mo
KKKK
Despotism
de-spo-tism
KMKM
Despotism
de-spo-tism
MRMR
Despotism
de-spo-tism
MSBahasa Melayu
despotisme
de-spo-tis-me
MYမြန်မာ
Despotism
de-spo-tism
NLNederlands
despotisme
de-spo-tis-me
NONorsk
despotisme
de-spo-tisme
PAPA
Despotism
de-spo-tism
PLPolski
despotismo
de-spo-ti-smo
PTPortuguês
despotismo
de-spo-tis-mo
RORomână
despotism
de-spo-tism
RUРусский
деспотизм
de-spo-tizm
SVSvenska
despotism
de-spo-tism
SWKiswahili
despotisme
de-spo-tis-me
TEతెలుగు
అధికార
a-dhi-kaara
THไทย
เผด็จการ
pet-chet-gaan
TLTL
despotismo
de-spo-tis-mo
TRTürkçe
despotizm
de-spo-tizm
UKУкраїнська
деспотизм
de-spo-tizm
VITiếng Việt
độc tài
dhok-tai
YOYO
Despotism
de-spo-tism
ZUZU
Despotism
de-spo-tism