tyranny

tyranny
tyr|an|ny [ˈtırəni] n plural tyrannies [U and C]
[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: tyrannie, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, from Latin tyrannus; TYRANT]
1.) cruel or unfair control over other people
▪ Gorky was often the victim of his grandfather's tyranny.
▪ the fight against tyranny
2.) cruel and unfair government
▪ organizations which have criticized the tyrannies of the government
3.) tyranny of the majority
the idea that if everyone has the right to vote, they will make decisions which will harm the country
4.) something in your life that limits your freedom to do things the way you want to
tyranny of
▪ the tyranny of the nine-to-five working day

Dictionary of contemporary English. 2013.

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Synonyms:
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  • Tyranny — Tyr an*ny (t[i^]r an*n[y^]), n. [OE. tirannye, OF. tirannie, F. tyrannie; cf. It. tirannia; Gr. tyranni a, tyranni s, L. tyrannis. See {Tyrant}.] 1. The government or authority of a tyrant; a country governed by an absolute ruler; hence,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tyranny — index cruelty, injustice, oppression, severity, thrall Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • tyranny — late 14c., cruel or unjust use of power, from O.Fr. tyrannie (13c.), from L.L. tyrannia tyranny, from Gk. tyrannia rule of a tyrant, from tyrannos master (see TYRANT (Cf. tyrant)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • tyranny — [n] dictatorship absolutism, authoritarianism, autocracy, coercion, cruelty, despotism, domination, fascism, high handedness, imperiousness, monocracy, oligarchy, oppression, peremptoriness, reign of terror*, severity, terrorism, totalitarianism …   New thesaurus

  • tyranny — ► NOUN (pl. tyrannies) 1) cruel and oppressive government or rule. 2) a state under such rule. 3) cruel and arbitrary exercise of power or control. DERIVATIVES tyrannous adjective …   English terms dictionary

  • tyranny — [tir′ə nē] n. pl. tyrannies [ME tirannie < OFr < ML tyrannia < Gr] 1. the office, authority, government, or jurisdiction of a tyrant, or absolute ruler 2. oppressive and unjust government; despotism 3. very cruel and unjust use of power… …   English World dictionary

  • tyranny — n. 1) to impose tyranny on 2) to overthrow a tyranny 3) cruel, merciless; ruthless tyranny 4) an act of tyranny 5) tyranny over * * * [ tɪrənɪ] merciless ruthless tyranny an act of tyranny cruel …   Combinatory dictionary

  • tyranny — UK [ˈtɪrənɪ] / US noun Word forms tyranny : singular tyranny plural tyrannies 1) [countable/uncountable] a government that treats people in a cruel and unfair way, using force to control them a brutal tyranny The people will rise up to free… …   English dictionary

  • tyranny — [[t]tɪ̱rəni[/t]] tyrannies 1) N VAR A tyranny is a cruel, harsh, and unfair government in which a person or small group of people have power over everyone else. He described these regimes as tyrannies and dictatorships... Self expression and… …   English dictionary

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