Tyranny

Extracted Attributes

• Etymology

  Ancient Greek "túrannos" (absolute ruler)

• Modern Connotation

  Negative, referring to a cruel, unrestrained ruler; oppressive and unjust government; arbitrary exercise of power

• Plato's Definition

  The 'worst disorder of a state,' lacking reason and order

• Key Characteristics

  Lawlessness, cruelty, repression, abuse of power, lack of reason, unjust desires

• Original Connotation

  Neutral, referring to an absolute sovereign who came to power without constitutional right

• Aristotle's Definition

  A person who rules without law, using extreme and cruel methods

• John Locke's Definition

  The exercise of power beyond right, not for the good of those who are subject to it

• Applicable Government Types

  Autocracy, Oligarchy, Democracy (tyranny of the majority)

• Significance in Western Thought

  Considered one of the 'Great Ideas,' with extensive historical, religious, ethical, political, and fictional references

Timeline

• The term 'tyrannos' had a neutral connotation, referring to an absolute sovereign who gained power without constitutional right. (Source: Wikipedia)

  Ancient Greece (Archaic and early Classical periods)

• A new kind of tyrant, supported by the military, emerged, particularly in Sicily. (Source: Wikipedia)

  Late 5th and 4th centuries BC

• John Locke defined tyranny in his book 'Two Treatises of Government' as the exercise of power beyond right. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1689

• During the French Revolution, Watch Committees were formed to monitor foreigners and other suspects, including 'supporters of tyranny.' (Source: Web Search Results)

  1793-03-XX

• Watch Committees in the French Revolution were granted greater powers, allowing the arrest of anyone revealed to be 'supporters of tyranny.' (Source: Web Search Results)

  1793-09-XX

• Idi Amin staged a coup in Uganda, becoming one of the worst tyrants of the 20th century, responsible for murdering at least 100,000 people. (Source: Web Search Results)

  1971-01-XX

• The beginning of Venezuela's 26-year transformation under socialist policies, initiated by Hugo Chávez, leading to its current state of tyranny under Nicolás Maduro. (Source: Related Documents)

  1999-XX-XX

• Nicolás Maduro's regime in Venezuela is characterized by human rights violations, criminal activity, and election fraud, exemplifying a modern descent into tyranny as described by María Corina Machado. (Source: Related Documents)

  Present

Tyrant

A tyrant (from Ancient Greek τύραννος (túrannos) 'absolute ruler'), in the modern English usage of the word, is an absolute ruler who is unrestrained by law, or one who has usurped a legitimate ruler's sovereignty. Often portrayed as cruel, tyrants may defend their positions by resorting to repressive means. The original Greek term meant an absolute sovereign who came to power without constitutional right, yet the word had a neutral connotation during the Archaic and early Classical periods. However, Greek philosopher Plato saw tyrannos as a negative form of government, and on account of the decisive influence of philosophy on politics, deemed tyranny the "fourth and worst disorder of a state." Tyrants lack "the very faculty that is the instrument of judgment"—reason. The tyrannical man is enslaved because the best part of him (reason) is enslaved, and likewise, the tyrannical state is enslaved, because it too lacks reason and order. The philosophers Plato and Aristotle defined a tyrant as a person who rules without law, using extreme and cruel methods against both his own people and others. The Encyclopédie defined the term as a usurper of sovereign power who makes "his subjects the victims of his passions and unjust desires, which he substitutes for laws". In the late fifth and fourth centuries BC, a new kind of tyrant, one who had the support of the military, arose – specifically in Sicily. One can apply accusations of tyranny to a variety of types of government: to government by one individual (in an autocracy) to government by a minority (in an oligarchy, tyranny of the minority) to government by a majority (in a democracy, tyranny of the majority)

Web Search Results

• Tyrant - Wikipedia

  Tyranny is considered an important subject, one of the "Great Ideas" of Western thought. The classics contain many references to tyranny and its causes, effects, methods, practitioners, alternatives. They consider tyranny from historical, religious, ethical, political and fictional perspectives. "If any point in political theory is indisputable, it would seem to be that tyranny is the worst corruption of government – a vicious misuse of power and a violent abuse of human beings who are subject [...] "Tyranny" redirects here. For other uses, see Tyranny (disambiguation) "Tyranny (disambiguation)"). This article is about a political ruler. For other uses, see Tyrant (disambiguation) "Tyrant (disambiguation)"). Absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution Image 4 Look up _tyrant_ in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Image 5 King Jie of Xia holding a _Ji "Ji (polearm)")_ polearm, representing oppression, and sitting on two ladies, symbolizing his abuse of power Image 6 [...] During the Age of Enlightenment, Western thinkers applied the word tyranny to the system of governance that had developed around aristocracy and monarchy. The English philosopher John Locke, as part of his argument against the "Divine Right of Kings" in his 1689 book _Two Treatises of Government_, defined it as such: "Tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right, which nobody can have a right to; and this is making use of the power any one has in his hands, not for the good of those who are

• TYRANNY Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

  1. 1. government by a tyrant or tyrants; despotism 2. similarly oppressive and unjust government by more than one person 2. arbitrary, unreasonable, or despotic behaviour or use of authority the teacher's tyranny 3. any harsh discipline or oppression the tyranny of the clock 4. a political unit ruled by a tyrant 5. (esp in ancient Greece) government by a usurper 6. a tyrannical act Discover More ## Other Word Forms tyrannous adjective tyrannously adverb tyrannousness noun [...] 1. arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. Synonyms: dictatorship, absolutism, despotism 2. the government or rule of a tyrant or absolute ruler. 3. a state ruled by a tyrant or absolute ruler. 4. oppressive or unjustly severe government on the part of any ruler. 5. undue severity or harshness. 6. a cruel or harsh act or proceeding; an arbitrary, oppressive, or tyrannical action. tyranny / ˈtɪrənɪ/ ## noun [...] + Daily Crossword + Word Puzzle + Word Finder + All games + Word of the Day + Word of the Year + New words + Language stories + All featured + Slang + Emoji + Memes + Acronyms + Gender and sexuality + All culture Writing tips + Writing hub + Grammar essentials + Commonly confused + All writing tips Games Featured Culture Writing tips Advertisement View synonyms for tyranny # tyranny [tir-uh-nee] ## noun ### plural tyrannies

• TYRANNY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

  “Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Accessed 7 Sep. 2025. Copy Citation ## Share ## Kids Definition tyranny noun tyr·​an·​ny ˈtir-ə-nē") plural tyrannies 1 : a government in which all power is in the hands of a single ruler 2 : harsh, cruel, and severe government or conduct 3 : a tyrannical act ## More from Merriam-Webster on tyranny Nglish: Translation of tyranny for Spanish Speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tyranny [...] Synonyms of tyranny : oppressive power every form of tyranny over the mind of man—Thomas Jefferson especially : oppressive power exerted by government the tyranny of a police state 2 a : a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler especially : one characteristic of an ancient Greek city-state b : the office, authority, and administration of a tyrant 3 : a rigorous condition imposed by some outside agency or force [...] The refugees were fleeing tyranny. He was dedicated to ending the tyranny of slavery. a nation ruled by tyranny She felt lost in the bureaucratic tyrannies of the university system. The king sought an absolute tyranny over the colonies. Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

• History and Tyranny - American Federation of Teachers

  1. Home 2. News 3. Publications 4. American Educator 5. Summer 2017 American Educator, _Summer 2017_ ### Related Articles Hope in Dark Times _Resisting the Threat to Democracy with Union Activism_ By Richard D. Kahlenberg HTML | PDF On Tyranny By Timothy Snyder HTML | PDF Stay Connected Instagram Threads Facebook Bluesky YouTube LinkedIn Text Join Us Email Zip Add Your Name [...] Published Time: 2023-07-13T15:38:41-04:00 History and Tyranny Jump to navigation Image 1: iconMember Benefits Image 2: iconHow to Join Image 3: iconEn Espanol Image 4: AFT logo (reads AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services) Menu Image 5: iconMember Benefits Image 6: iconHow to Join Image 7: iconEn Espanol [...] The AFT is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do. Contact AFT Store Careers at AFT Privacy Policy

• Tyrants in History - Local Histories

  In March 1793 Watch Committees were formed to monitor foreigners and other suspects. In September 1793 the committees were given much greater powers. From then on anyone who ‘by their conduct, their contacts, their words or by their writings’ were revealed to be ‘supporters of tyranny, of federalism and or to be enemies of liberty’ could be arrested. Such a catch-all phrase meant virtually anybody could be arrested and executed. [...] religious faith). [...] In January 1971 when Prime Minister Milton Obote was in Singapore attending a meeting Idi Amin staged a coup in Uganda. Amin turned out to be one of the worst tyrants of the 20th century. The number of people he murdered was at least 100,000 and possibly many more. Apart from those Ugandans who were shot others were tortured to death or bludgeoned to death with sledgehammers or iron bars.

• Instance Of

  Q482994