Tyranny

Definition: Tyranny

Tyranny

Noun

1. A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.).

2. Dominance through threat of punishment and violence.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "tyranny" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Etymology: Tyranny \Tyr"an*ny\, noun. [from Old English expression tirannye, Old French tirannie, French tyrannie; compare to Italian expression tirannia; Greek expression from Latin expression tyrannis. See Tyrant.]. (Websters 1913)

Synonyms: Tyranny

Insolence

Noun: insolence; haughtiness; Adjective: arrogance, airs; overbearance; domineering; Verb: tyranny.

Legality

Phrase: ignorantia legis neminem excusat; "where law ends tyranny begins".

Severity

Arbitrary power; absolutism, despotism; dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression; assumption, usurpation; inquisition, reign of terror, martial law; iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway; tight grasp; brute force, brute strength; coercion; strong hand, tight hand.

Crosswords: Tyranny

And it is a thousand candles that will burn for every brave soldier that marches to the steps of the drums of liberty, so that tyranny will never trample the spirit of freedom in the hearts of men, throughout a world thrown into darkness and despair. (The Cheap Detective; writing credit: Neil Simon)

I see a whole army of my country men, here, in defiance of tyranny. What will you do without freedom? (Braveheart; writing credit: Randall Wallace)

Toil and Tyranny (1915)

From Tyranny to Liberty (1910)

Wall of Tyranny (1988)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Global Tyranny...Step by Step: The United Nations and the Emerging New World Order (reference)

• Of Monkeys and Dragons: Freedom from the Tyranny of Disease (reference)

• The Obsession: Reflections on the Tyranny of Slenderness (reference)

• The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny (reference)

• Tyranny of the Urgent (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• Ending The Tyranny Of The Inner Patriarch (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• The Tyranny of Distance (reference)

• Tyranny (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Tyranny in 1921, but not in 1914. Credit: Library of Congress.

Apotheosis of Washington. Fall of tyranny, detail. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

As usurpation is the exercise of power, which another hath a right to; so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right, which no body can have a right to. (Second Treatise of Government)

The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. (reference)

I have now stated the two great dangers which menace the homes of the people: War and Tyranny. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Tyranny follows the tyrant.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Economic History

Equatorial Guinea

President Obiang's rule, in which schools were permitted to reopen and primary education expanded, and public utilities and roads restored, compares favorably with Macias' tyranny and terror. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Albanian

tirani (despotism, oppression), ashpërsi (acrimony, asperity, austerity, coarseness, dourness, harshness, inclemency, rigor, rigorism, rigour, roughness, savagery, severity, sharpness, toughness). (various references)

Arabic 

‏حكومة استبدادية, ‏طغيان (despotism, oppression), ‏جور (iniquity, injustice, oppression, wrong), ‏الحكم الإ ستبدادي, ‏إستبداد (despotism). (various references)

Bulgarian 

тирания (shackles), потисничество (oppression), деспотизъм. (various references)

Chinese 

暴�"� (despotic rule). (various references)

Czech

tyranie (jackboot, oppression), hrùzovláda (terrorism), útisk (oppression, pressure). (various references)

Dutch

tirannie, dwingelandij, dwingelandý. (various references)

Esperanto

tiraneco. (various references)

Faeroese

harðræði. (various references)

Farsi 

حکومت ستمگرانه , حکومت استبدادی (Autarchy), ستمگری (Ravage), ستم (Cruelty, Injustice, Oppression), ظلم وستم , ظلم (Cruelty, Injustice). (various references)

Finnish

tyrannius, hirmuvalta (despotism, terrorism). (various references)

French

tyrannie. (various references)

German

Gewaltherrschaft (despotism, dictatorship), Zwangsherrschaft, Tyrannei. (various references)

Greek 

τυραννία (despotism). (various references)

Hebrew 

עריצות (despotism, ruthlessness), טרו� י�" (attack), רו�"� ות (despotism, dictatorship). (various references)

Hungarian

zsarnokság (absolutism, despotism, dictatorship, oppression, victimization). (various references)

Indonesian

kelaliman (cruelty, despotism, oppression). (various references)

Italian

tirannia. (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

虐�"� (despotism), 苛�"� (despotism), 圧制 (despotism, oppression), テーベ物語 (beefsteak, project, tail, tail end, tail fin, tail lamp, tailcoat, taillight, tailor, tailored, tailored suit, tailor-made, take, taste, Taylor system, tea, teeing ground, teenage, teen-age, teenager, teen-ager, Tegafur, tequila, Texas, Texas hit, Texas leaguer, text, text book, text file, textbook, textile, texture, Thebais, theme, Theme campaign, Theme music, theme park, Theme promotion, Theme song, tilapia, timpani, tissue, tissue paper, tissues, topic, TROFF, tympany, typical), 暴虐 (atrocity, cruel, outrage), 暴�"� , 暴戻 (atrocity), 暴威 , 横暴 (despotism, high-handedness, oppression, violence), 専横 (arbitrariness, despotism). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ぎゃくせい (despotism), おうぼう (despotism, high-handedness, oppression, violence), ティラニー , ぼうぎゃく (atrocity, cruel, outrage), ぼうせい, ぼうい, ぼうれい (apparition, atrocity, departed spirits, ghost, the dead), せ�"おう (arbitrariness, despotism, good ancient kings, the late king, the preceding king, usurper king), かせい (assistance, backing, caustic, change, clearing of the river water, despotism, false, falsetto, force of flames, great poet, growth, honour of the family, household economy, Mars, metamorphosis, reinforcements, section system, transformation), あっせい (despotic administration, despotism, oppression, political pressure, power politics). (various references)

Korean 

폭� �. (various references)

Manx

tranlaase (despotism, harassment, oppression, persecution), ard-tranlaase. (various references)

Pig Latin

yrannytay

Portuguese

tirania (oppression, oppressiveness). (various references)

Romanian

tiranie (despotism), opresiune (grinding). (various references)

Russian 

тирания. (various references)

Scottish

aintighearnas (oppression). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

tiranija (despotism), ugnjetavanje (oppression), despotizam (despotism). (various references)

Spanish

tiranía. (various references)

Swedish

tyranni. (various references)

Turkish

tiranlık, zulüm (cruelty, grimness, oppression, persecution), zorbalık (despotism, extortion, fist law, headiness, outrage, overbearance, rough stuff, ruffianism, violence), zorba yönetim. (various references)

Turkmen 

zulum (oppression), zalymlyk, eden-etdilik (arbitrariness, despotism). (various references)

Ukrainian

тиранство, тиранія (despotism, oppression). (various references)

Vietnamese 

sự chuyên chế h� nh động bạo ngược, sự bạo ngược, h� nh động chuyên chế chính thể bạo chúa, chính thể chuyên chế (absolutism). (various references)

Welsh

tra-arglwyddiaeth, gormes (aggression, oppression), gormail (oppression). (various references)

dominatus, tyrannidem, tyrannidis, tyrannis. (various references)

tyrannia. (various references)

Misspellings

"Tyranny" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Tiemann, Tiernan, Tihany, Tiranno, trannie, tranny, tryanny, tryany, tyrangy, tyranmy, tyrann, tyrannic, tyranno, tyrano, tyrans, tyrany, tyrnny, tyrranny, tyrrany. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-3 letters: arty, nary, rant, tarn, tray, yarn.

-4 letters: ant, any, art, nan, nay, ran, rat, ray, rya, tan, tar, try, yar, yay.

-5 letters: an, ar, at, ay, na, ta, ya.

+4 letters: tyrannously.

+5 letters: tyrannically.