1. A king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; an autocrat: Matt's uncle was a successful football coach, however a lot of people considered him to be a despot because he was always dictating what the players had to do during the games.
2. Any tyrant or oppressor: There are some despots, even in these modern times, who rule their people in cruel and inhumane ways.
3. Etymology: from Greek: despotes, "a master, a lord"; from Latin domus "house, home" + potis, "master, husband".

Originally, a title meaning "master", applied to certain classes of rulers, an honorary title applied to a Byzantine emperor, afterward to members of his family, and later to Byzantine vassal rulers and governors, then to bishops or patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox Church, etc. Now, it refers to anyone who is in charge and acts like a tyrant or a ruler who exercises his or her power in a harsh or oppressive way.

© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.