despotic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Francisco Franco had heir faces on stamps, currency, and coins during their respective despotic reigns.

From Slate • Dec. 20, 2025

Far from being despotic, Louis sought to be a constitutional monarch, with representative institutions that could mobilize consent and resources behind state policy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

They might try to challenge their removal to a despotic regime saying their naming-and-shaming in the UK means they could be tortured back home - something our law absolutely forbids.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2024

In a growing genre of movies inspired by the #MeToo movement, two very different films stand out: “Women Talking” and “Tár,” a portrait of a despotic, world-famous conductor heading for a fall.

From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2023

The chairs, the carpet, the tables—all had rotted away; they sagged in mutual ruin, victims of the despotic force of time.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick