From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Tyranny \Tyr"an*ny\ (t[i^]r"an*n[y^]), n. [OE. tirannye, OF.
tirannie, F. tyrannie; cf. It. tirannia; Gr. tyranni`a,
tyranni`s, L. tyrannis. See {Tyrant}.]
1. The government or authority of a tyrant; a country
governed by an absolute ruler; hence, arbitrary or
despotic exercise of power; exercise of power over
subjects and others with a rigor not authorized by law or
justice, or not requisite for the purposes of government.
[1913 Webster]
"Sir," would he [Seneca] say, "an emperor mote need
Be virtuous and hate tyranny." --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
2. Cruel government or discipline; as, the tyranny of a
schoolmaster.
[1913 Webster]
3. Severity; rigor; inclemency.
[1913 Webster]
The tyranny of the open night's too rough
For nature to endure. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
tyranny
n 1: a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute
dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or
opposition etc.) [syn: {dictatorship}, {absolutism},
{authoritarianism}, {Caesarism}, {despotism}, {monocracy},
{one-man rule}, {shogunate}, {Stalinism},
{totalitarianism}, {tyranny}]
2: dominance through threat of punishment and violence [syn:
{absolutism}, {tyranny}, {despotism}]
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