Definition of TYRANNY

tyranny

Meanings

Plural: tyrannies

Noun

  • a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
  • dominance through threat of punishment and violence
  • A government in which a single ruler (a tyrant) has absolute power, or this system of government; especially, one that acts cruelly and unjustly.
  • The office or jurisdiction of an absolute ruler.
  • Absolute power, or its use.
  • 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.
  • Extreme severity or rigour.

Origin / Etymology

Inherited from Middle English tirannye, from Old French tyrannie, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, tyrania, from Ancient Greek τυραννία (turannía, “tyranny”), from τύραννος (túrannos, “lord, master, sovereign, tyrant”).

Synonyms

absolute monarchy, absolutism, authoritarianism, autocracy, Caesarism, despotism, dictatorship, monocracy, one-man rule, shogunate, Stalinism, totalitarianism, tyranthood

Scrabble Score: 13

tyranny is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
tyranny is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
tyranny is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

tyranny is a valid Words With Friends word