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Meanings of despotic in English

Characteristic of an absolute ruler or absolute rule; having absolute sovereignty.

Related terms

Belonging to or having the characteristics of a despot.

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Usage of despotic in English
1
Any despotic government must have the reliable support of toadies and traitors.
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk
2
So ended the despotic rule of gentlemen adventurers in the far north.
Lords of the North
3
The young girl was pregnant, and they were fleeing a despotic regime.
The Guardian
4
America is the stronghold of the popular principle, Europe of the despotic.
Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals / In Two Volumes, V...
5
The despotic course of the king raised up enemies on all sides.
General History for Colleges and High Schools
6
A despotic government restricted the efforts of the Apostles to do good.
The Anti-Slavery Examiner, Part 1 of 4
7
His pride, his whole character, despotic; the horror of having been deceived.
The Lock and Key Library: the Most Interesting Stories of All Na...
8
The only form or system that is necessarily illegal is the despotic.
The American Republic: Its Constitution, Tendencies, and Destiny
9
But in nations capable of freedom this religious domination was never despotic.
The English Constitution
10
The body is a despotic master and it is a splendid servant.
The Girl and Her Religion
11
Their anthem has a slight whiff of old-school despotic regime about it.
The Guardian
12
That Assembly stood in his way as he strode toward despotic power.
Sketches of the Covenanters
13
Under the despotic rule of Louis Napoleon, the newspaper business has drooped.
Paris: With Pen and Pencil / Its People and Literature, Its Life...
14
An extraordinary event occurred here, showing the despotic power of the sheikh.
Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and Sta...
15
This remarkable document was a strange compound of liberal and despotic elements.
Problems in American Democracy
16
Under a despotic government, the spy is as necessary as the corporal.
A Practical Illustration of "Woman's Right to Labor" / A Letter ...
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Despotic through the time
Despotic across language varieties
United Kingdom
Common
United States of America
Less common