tyrant

/ˈtaɪɹənt/TIGH-ruhnt
/ˈtaɪɹənt/TIGH-ruhnt

Meaningan absolute ruler

Common meaning: a cruel absolute ruler

Journey through time

  1. Greekτύραννος‘an absolute ruler’
  2. Frenchtira
  3. Old Frenchtiransource
  4. Middle Englishtirantsource
  5. Englishtyrant‘a cruel absolute ruler’ · today

tyran also in: tyranny

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek τύραννος ‘an absolute ruler’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Liddell & Scott, Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1889), entry τύραννος, p. 824 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

tyranny

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