The tyranny meaning is the cruel, unjust or unlimited use of power, most often by a single ruler who answers to no one. A king who jails anyone who criticises him, takes property at will and ignores the courts is ruling by tyranny.
The word also stretches beyond governments. People speak of the tyranny of a bullying boss, the tyranny of a strict timetable or even the tyranny of the clock, meaning any force that controls you harshly and leaves little choice.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Harsh, unfair or absolute use of powerPart of speech
Noun (plural: tyrannies)Pronunciation
TEER-uh-neeWord forms
tyrant (person), tyrannical (adjective), tyrannize (verb), tyrannically (adverb)Origin
Greek tyrannia, rule by a tyrannos, through Latin and Old French; in English from the late 1300sOpposite
freedom, liberty, democracy, rule of lawRegister
Formal to neutral; strong and critical in tone
Tyranny meaning: two main senses
- Government by a tyrant. A system where one person or a small group holds absolute power and uses it unjustly, without checks from courts, voters or laws. This is the political sense.
- Any harsh control. Cruel or oppressive treatment by anyone with power over others, or by a thing that seems to rule your life. A household, a workplace or a habit may each be called a tyranny in this looser sense.
Readers puzzling over what is the definition of tyranny today hear both senses used. To define tyranny in a single phrase, what is it? Power used unfairly by someone nobody can stop.
How tyranny sounds in real sentences
- The city's charter was written to protect citizens from tyranny by any future governor.
- For years the village lived under the tyranny of a landlord who set rents as he pleased.
- She escaped the tyranny of her inbox by turning off email alerts after six.
- The old school's rules felt like a petty tyranny to the new students.
- Free courts and a free press are often described as defences against tyranny.
From Greek usurper to cruel ruler
Tyranny reached English in the late 1300s through Old French and Late Latin from Greek tyrannia, "rule of a tyrannos". In ancient Greek cities a tyrannos was a ruler who took power without a legal right to it, rather than inheriting a throne. Some of these rulers were popular and even fair, so the word did not always mean cruel. Over time it became a term of reproach, and by about 1600 tyranny in English had its modern sense of lawless, oppressive rule. The Greek word itself may have been borrowed from a language of Asia Minor, but that is not certain.
Using tyranny and its family
Tyranny is the system or the behaviour; a tyrant is the person; tyrannical describes them (a tyrannical manager); and to tyrannize (British spelling tyrannise) is to treat others that way. Common phrases include live under tyranny, resist tyranny, fall into tyranny, a petty tyranny and tyranny of the majority, an idea from political thought about a majority that ignores the rights of smaller groups.
A charged word in public argument
Because tyranny is such a heavy charge, it often appears in heated debate. One side may call a law, a tax or a court ruling tyranny, while the other side sees it as normal, lawful government. Historians usually reserve the word for clear abuse: jailing critics, cancelling elections, ignoring courts. When you meet it in an argument, it helps to ask what power is being used, by whom, and what checks remain. More political vocabulary is grouped in law, politics and society, alongside terms such as rule of law.
Frequently asked questions
What does tyranny mean, explained for a child?
Tyranny is when someone with power uses it in a mean and unfair way, and nobody can stop them. A ruler who makes cruel rules and punishes people for complaining is a common example.
What is a tyrant?
A tyrant is a person who rules or controls others cruelly and unfairly. The word can mean a real ruler or, more loosely, a bossy parent, teacher or manager.
Is tyranny the same as dictatorship?
Not exactly. Dictatorship describes who holds power, one person with no limits. Tyranny describes how power is used, harshly and unjustly. Many dictatorships are tyrannies, but the words are not identical.
What is the tyranny of the majority?
It is the idea that a majority can use its voting power to ignore or harm the rights of smaller groups. Constitutions often protect certain rights so that a simple majority cannot remove them.
How do you pronounce tyranny?
It is TEER-uh-nee, and the first beat carries the weight. Note that tyrant is said differently, TY-ruhnt, with a long y.
What is the opposite of tyranny?
Freedom, liberty and government under the rule of law, where power has limits and leaders answer to courts and citizens.