tyranny

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A government in which a single ruler (a tyrant) has absolute power, or this system of government; especially, one that acts cruelly and unjustly.
2. (countable, uncountable)The office or jurisdiction of an absolute ruler.
3. (countable, uncountable)Absolute power, or its use.
4. (countable, uncountable)A system of government in which power is exercised on behalf of the ruler or ruling class, without regard to the wishes of the governed.

   “He that with ſhepheards and a litle ſpoyle, Durſt in diſdaine of wrong and tyrannie, Defend his freedome gainſt a Monarchie: What will he doe ſupported by a king?”

   “Control, dispossession, violence, and tyranny are not “defensive”: they are part of an organized, ongoing aggression.”

5. (countable, uncountable)Extreme severity or rigour.