| Noun | 1. | tyrant - a cruel and oppressive dictator |
| 2. | tyrant - in ancient Greece, a ruler who had seized power without legal right to it | |
| 3. | tyrant - any person who exercises power in a cruel way; "his father was a tyrant" |
TYRANT, government. The chief magistrate of the state, whether legitimate or
otherwise, who violates the constitution to act arbitrarily contrary to
justice. Toull. tit. prel. n. 32.
2. The term tyrant and usurper, are sometimes used as synonymous,
because usurpers are almost always tyrants; usurpation is itself a
tyrannical act, but properly speaking, the words usurper and tyrant convey
different ideas. A king may become a tyrant, although legitimate, when he
acts despotically; while a usurper may cease to be a tyrant by governing
according to the dictates of justice.
3. This term is sometimes applied to persons in authority who violate
the laws and act arbitrarily towards others. Vide Despotism.