tyranny

 
Pronunciation: /ˈtɪr(ə)ni/

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 figurative the 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.