ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Tyranny

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈtərəni/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Tyranny is a noun meaning The office or jurisdiction of an absolute ruler.

Meaning

The office or jurisdiction of an absolute ruler.

More Meanings

  1. Absolute power, or its use.
  2. A system of government in which power is exercised on behalf of the ruler or ruling class, without regard to the wishes of the governed.
  3. Extreme severity or rigour.
  4. A government in which a single ruler (a tyrant) has absolute power, or this system of government; especially, one that acts cruelly and unjustly.

Example Sentences

Control, dispossession, violence, and tyranny are not “defensive”: they are part of an organized, ongoing aggression.
He that with ſhepheards and a litle ſpoyle, Durſt in diſdaine of wrong and tyrannie, Defend his freedome gainſt a Monarchie: What will he doe ſupported by a king?

Word Forms

Synonyms for tyranny

Depending on context, synonyms include autocracy, despotism, dictatorship, tyranthood, authoritarianism, absolutism.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include monocracy, despotism, dictatorship, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, absolutism.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.