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ant-col-md-24 ant-col-lg-17"><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-pc-wd-top" style="min-width:728px;min-height:90px"></div></div><div class="word--C9UPa"><div><div class="" style="position:relative"><h1 title="Origin and meaning of despotic" class="word__name--TTbAA">despotic (adj.)</h1><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH"><p>"pertaining to or of the nature of a despot or despotism," 1640s, from French <span class="foreign notranslate">despotique</span> (14c.), from Greek <span class="foreign notranslate">despotikos</span>, from <span class="foreign notranslate">despotēs</span> "absolute ruler" (see <a href="/word/despot" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of despot " class="crossreference notranslate">despot</a>). By 1734, "unlimited, arbitrary, tyrannical." In 18c. also <span class="foreign notranslate">despotick</span>. Related: <span class="foreign notranslate">Despotical</span>; <span class="foreign notranslate">despotically</span>.</p> <blockquote> Despotic monarchs sincerely anxious to improve mankind are naturally led to endeavour, by acts of legislation, to force society into the paths which they believe to be good, and such men, acting under such motives, have sometimes been the scourges of mankind. Philip II. and Isabella the Catholic inflicted more suffering in obedience to their consciences than Nero or Domitian in obedience to their lusts. [W.E.H. Lecky, "A History of European Morals," 1869] </blockquote></section><div class="word__firstRecorded--3lZB8">also from <a rel="nofollow" class="word__firstRecorded_time--28qNE" href="/search?sort=a&q=from:1640s">1640s</a></div></div></div></div><div class="related--32LCi"><h3 class="h3_title" title="words related to despotic">Entries linking to <i>despotic</i></h3><div class="related__details--2kumU"><div class="word--C9UPa word_4pc--2SZw8"><div><a class="word__name--TTbAA word_thumbnail__name--1khEg" style="margin-bottom:5px;display:block" title="Origin and meaning of despot" href="/word/despot#etymonline_v_5670">despot (n.)<span class="word_thumbnail__name_icon--2RFFN"><i class="fa fa-chevron-right" style="font-size:16px"></i></span></a><div class="word__etymology_expand--1s7tE"><section class="word__defination--2q7ZH undefined"><div></div><p>"absolute ruler," 1560s, in Italian form <span class="foreign notranslate">dispotto</span> (1580s as <span class="foreign notranslate">despot)</span>; from Medieval Latin <span class="foreign notranslate">despota</span>, from Greek <span class="foreign notranslate">despotēs</span> "master of a household, lord, absolute ruler," from PIE <span class="foreign notranslate">*dems-pota-</span> "house-master," from the genitive of the root <a href="/word/*dem-" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of *dem- " rel="nofollow" class="crossreference notranslate">*dem-</a> "house, household" + second element from PIE root <a href="/word/*poti-" title="Etymology, meaning and definition of *poti- " rel="nofollow" class="crossreference notranslate">*poti-</a> "powerful; lord." The compound might be prehistoric; compare Sanskrit <span class="foreign notranslate">dampati-</span> "lord."</p> <p>Originally in English in reference to Byzantine rulers or Christian rulers in Ottoman provinces and often neutral. But it had been faintly pejorative in Greek (ruler of an un-free people), and it was used in various languages for Roman emperors. It became fully negative with the French Revolution, where it was applied to Louis XVI. In English the sense of "one who governs according to his own will, under a recognized right but uncontrolled by constitutional restrictions or the wishes of his subjects" is by 1610s; by c. 1800 it was used generally for "a tyrant, an oppressor."</p> <p>The Greek female equivalent was <span class="foreign notranslate">despoina</span> "lady, queen, mistress," source of the fem. proper name <span class="foreign notranslate">Despina</span>.</p></section></div></div><div style="clear:both"></div></div></div></div><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical" style="margin-top:1em"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7093273770345366" style="display:block;width:100%" data-ad-slot="8757723469" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins></div><div class="ngram--SmXCf"><h3 class="h3_title" title="Trends of despotic">Trends of <i>despotic</i></h3><div class="ngram__container--NwjaG" style="height:180px"><canvas id="ngram-chart"></canvas></div><div class="ngram__footer--3-9dX">adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. 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(n.d.). Etymology of despotic. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/despotic</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">Chicago style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper Douglas, “Etymology of despotic,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/despotic.</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">MLA style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of despotic.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/despotic. Accessed $(datetimeMla).</textarea><div class="cite__content_title--3ABWh">IEEE style:</div><textarea class="cite__content_textarea--3zgJO cite-textarea" readonly="">D. Harper. “Etymology of despotic.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/despotic (accessed $(datetime)).</textarea></div></div><p class="wordDetail__date--3r7r8">updated on June 28, 2022</p><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 vertical" style="margin-top:1em"><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7093273770345366" style="display:block;width:100%" data-ad-slot="7656336158" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins></div></div><div class="ant-col-xs-24 ant-col-sm-24 ant-col-md-24 ant-col-lg-6"><div data-ad-container="true" class="adContainer--6CVz1 removeAdsContainer--3mV2b horizontal"><a href="/premium?utm_source=remove_ads"><div class="removeAdsBtn--2W3KN">Remove ads ></div></a><span class="adLabel--35hfi">Advertisement</span><div id="div-gpt-ad-pc-wd-right" style="min-width:300px;min-height:250px"></div></div><div class="trending__normal--2eWJF"><h3 class="h3_title">Trending words</h3><ul><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of diagnosis" href="/word/diagnosis">1. diagnosis</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of repentance" href="/word/repentance">2. repentance</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of Lent" href="/word/Lent">3. Lent</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of worth" href="/word/worth">4. worth</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of march" href="/word/march">5. march</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of language" href="/word/language">6. language</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of trust" href="/word/trust">7. trust</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of shrove" href="/word/shrove">8. shrove</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of moon" href="/word/moon">9. moon</a></li><li class="trending__normal__word--1Qvnq"><a rel="nofollow" title="Origin and meaning of fast" href="/word/fast">10. fast</a></li></ul></div><div class="alphabetical--2oTZG"><h3 title="words in alphabetical order" class="h3_title">Dictionary entries near <i>despotic</i></h3><a title="Origin and meaning of despond" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/despond"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">despond</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of despondence" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/despondence"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">despondence</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of despondency" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/despondency"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">despondency</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of despondent" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/despondent"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">despondent</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of despot" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/despot"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">despot</p></a><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2 alphabetical__active--FCYcm">despotic</p><a title="Origin and meaning of despotism" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/despotism"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">despotism</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of dessert" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/dessert"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">dessert</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of destabilization" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/destabilization"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">destabilization</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of destabilize" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/destabilize"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">destabilize</p></a><a title="Origin and meaning of destination" target="" rel="nofollow" href="/word/destination"><p class="alphabetical__word--3UeP2">destination</p></a></div></div></div></div><div class="alphabet--3sMXd"><ul class="alphabet__inner--2NEtM"><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter A"><a rel="nofollow" href="/search?q=a">A</a></li><li class="alphabet__node--huwT8" title="Prefix, suffix and words starting with the letter B"><a rel="nofollow" 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