despotic

C2+ Topic:Describing People

Also spelled despotical

US /dɪˈspɑtɪk/ UK /dɪˈspɒtɪk/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
exercising absolute power in a cruel or oppressive way

The province groaned under a despotic and capricious governor.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · exercising absolute power... tyrannical autocratic dictatorial oppressive authoritarian tyrannous absolute

Opposites

democratic liberal egalitarian lenient

Word family

Forms despotically

Derived forms despotically

Related forms despot despotism

Etymology

From Medieval Latin despoticus, from Ancient Greek despotikos, from despotes ('master, lord'), from Proto-Indo-European *dems-pótis ('master of the house').

despotikos Ancient Greek despotes Ancient Greek *dems-pótis Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing People Word Formation & Derivatives

# despotic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** dɪˈspɑtɪk
**IPA (UK):** dɪˈspɒtɪk

## Meanings
1. exercising absolute power in a cruel or oppressive way

## Examples
- The province groaned under a despotic and capricious governor.

## Synonyms
- tyrannical
- autocratic
- dictatorial
- oppressive
- authoritarian
- tyrannous
- absolute

## Antonyms
- democratic
- liberal
- egalitarian
- lenient

## Derived Forms
- despotically

## Related Forms
- despot
- despotism

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: despotikos
- Root: despotes
- Root: *dems-pótis

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin despoticus, from Ancient Greek despotikos, from despotes ('master, lord'), from Proto-Indo-European *dems-pótis ('master of the house').

## AI Etymology
Despotic comes from Medieval Latin despoticus, from Ancient Greek despotikos, from despotes ('master, lord'), from Proto-Indo-European *dems-pótis ('master of the house'). The etymological trail includes Ancient Greek despotikos, Ancient Greek despotes, and Proto-Indo-European *dems-pótis. As an adjective, despotic describes what is exercising absolute power in a cruel or oppressive way. The same family is visible in derived forms such as despotically and related forms such as despot and despotism.

## Topics
- Describing People
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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despotic

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