Tyranny Meaning
/ˈtərəni/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA government in which a single ruler (a tyrant) has absolute power, or this system of government; especially, one that acts cruelly and unjustly.
nounThe office or jurisdiction of an absolute ruler.
Sentence Examples
People in the country were living under a tyranny.
I will be reminded of tyranny and cruelty, if Nero is said.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The country suffered under the ____ of a dictator who took away all freedoms.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The novel describes the struggle of a small group of people to escape the ____ and find freedom in a new and distant land today.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English tirannye, from Old French tyrannie, from Medieval Latin tyrannia, tyrania, from Ancient Greek τυραννία (turannía, “tyranny”), from τύραννος (túrannos, “lord, master, sovereign, tyrant”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"He that with ſhepheards and a litle ſpoyle,
Durſt in diſdaine of wrong and tyrannie,
Defend his freedome gainſt a Monarchie:
What will he doe ſupported by a king?"
— c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene i:
"Control, dispossession, violence, and tyranny are not “defensive”: they are part of an organized, ongoing aggression."
— 2019 April 28, Hagai El-Ad, “What kind of democracy deports human rights workers?”, in Yoni Molad, transl., +972 Magazine:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The country suffered under the ____ of a dictator who took away all freedoms.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The novel describes the struggle of a small group of people to escape the ____ and find freedom in a new and distant land today.