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tyranny

Pronunciation: /ˈtɪr(ə)ni/
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Definition of tyranny

noun (plural tyrannies)

[mass noun]
  • cruel and oppressive government or rule:refugees fleeing tyranny and oppression
  • [count noun] a state under cruel and oppressive government.
  • cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control:the tyranny of her stepmother figurativethe tyranny of the nine-to-five day
  • (especially in ancient Greece) rule by one who has absolute power without legal right.

Derivatives

tyrannous

adjective

tyrannously

adverb

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French tyrannie, from late Latin tyrannia, from Latin turannus (see tyrant)

Spelling help

Spell tyranny and the related word tyrannical with one r and a double n.

tyranny in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tyranny in the US English dictionary

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