Despotism
A Dictionary of Law · Henry Campbell Black · 1891
A Dictionary of Law
That abuse of government where the sovereign power is not divided, but united in the hands of a single man, whatever may be his official title. It is not, properly, a form of government. Toullier, Dr. Civ. Fr. tit. prél. n. 32. “Despotism” is not exactly synonymous with “autocracy,” for the former involves the idea of tyrrany or abuse of power, which is not necessarily implied by the latter. Every despotism is autocratic; but au autocracy is not necessarily despotic.