Definitions of Despotism:
-absolutism: dominance through threat of punishment and violence
-dictatorship: a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
*source: wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
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-Despotism is a form of government by a single authority, either an individual or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute political power.
*en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotism.