Despot

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Despot \Des"pot\, n. [F. despote, LL. despotus, fr. Gr.
     despo`ths master, lord, the second part of which is akin to
     po`sis husband, and L. potens. See {Potent}.]
     1. A master; a lord; especially, an absolute or irresponsible
        ruler or sovereign.
        [1913 Webster]


  
              Irresponsible power in human hands so naturally
              leads to it, that cruelty has become associated with
              despot and tyrant.                    --C. J. Smith.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. One who rules regardless of a constitution or laws; a
        tyrant.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  despot
       n : a cruel and oppressive dictator [syn: {tyrant}, {autocrat}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  25 Moby Thesaurus words for "despot":
     Simon Legree, absolute monarch, absolute ruler, all-powerful ruler,
     arrogator, autarch, autocrat, caesar, commissar, czar, dictator,
     disciplinarian, driver, duce, hard master, martinet, oligarch,
     oppressor, pharaoh, slave driver, stickler, strong man, tyrant,
     usurper, warlord
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  DESPOT. This word, in its most simple and original acceptation, signifies 
  master and supreme lord; it is synonymous with monarch; but, taken in bad 
  part, as it is usually employed, it signifies a tyrant. In some states, 
  despot is the title given to the sovereign, as king is given in others. 
  Encyc. Lond.