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Webster 1913 Edition


Despot

Des′pot

,
Noun.
[F.
despote
, LL.
despotus
, fr. Gr.
δεσπότησ
master, lord, the second part of which is akin to
πόσισ
husband, and L.
potens
. See
Potent
.]
1.
A master; a lord; especially, an absolute or irresponsible ruler or sovereign.
Irresponsible power in human hands so naturally leads to it, that cruelty has become associated with
despot
and tyrant.
C. J. Smith.
2.
One who rules regardless of a constitution or laws; a tyrant.

Webster 1828 Edition


Despot

DESPOT

,
Noun.
An emperor, king or price invested with absolute power, or ruling without any control from men, constitution or laws. Hence in a general sense, a tyrant.

Definition 2024


Despot

Despot

See also: despot

German

Noun

Despot m (genitive Despoten, plural Despoten, feminine Despotin)

  1. despot

Declension

Related terms

despot

despot

See also: Despot

English

Noun

despot (plural despots)

  1. A ruler with absolute power; a tyrant.
  2. (historical) A title awarded to senior members of the imperial family in the late Byzantine Empire, and claimed by various independent or semi-autonomous rulers in the Balkans (12th to 15th centuries)

Translations

Derived terms

Anagrams

References

  1. Fortson, Benjamin W. (2004) Indo-European Language and Culture: An Introduction, first edition, Oxford: Blackwell

Danish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δεσπότης (despótēs, lord, master).

Noun

despot c (singular definite despoten, plural indefinite despoter)

  1. despot

Synonyms

Derived terms

Inflection


Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /děspot/
  • Hyphenation: des‧pot

Noun

dèspot m (Cyrillic spelling дѐспот)

  1. despot

Declension


Swedish

Noun

despot c

  1. despot