democracy

Q: What is the basic meaning of 'democracy'?

The word democracy most often refers to a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting.

noun

de·moc·ra·cy di-ˈmä-krə-sē

plural democracies

Synonyms of democracy next

: government by the people

especially : rule of the majority

: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

: a political unit that has a democratic government

capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the U.S.

from emancipation Republicanism to New Deal Democracy—

C. M. Roberts

: the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority

: the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the United States a democracy or a republic?

The United States is both a democracy and a republic. Democracies and republics are both forms of government in which supreme power resides in the citizens. The word republic refers specifically to a government in which those citizens elect representatives who govern according to the law. The word democracy can refer to this same kind of representational government, or it can refer instead to what is also called a direct democracy, in which the citizens themselves participate in the act of governing directly.

What is the basic meaning of democracy?

The word democracy most often refers to a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting.

What is a democratic system of government?

A democratic system of government is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodic free elections.

Examples of democracy in a Sentence

Democracy, I would repeat, is the noblest form of government we have yet evolved … —

Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002

… this and the economic failures of faithful democracies in places such as India or the Anglophone Caribbean demonstrated conclusively that there was no inherent link between freedom and capitalism … —

Orlando Patterson, New Republic, 8 Nov. 1999

Even in democracies today, crucial knowledge is available to only a few individuals … —

Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, 1997

The nation has chosen democracy over monarchy. In a democracy, every citizen should have the right to vote. The company is not a democracy; decisions are made by a board of directors, not the workers. There is democracy within the company.

Recent Examples on the Web But in terms of the divide between 99 percent of Americans who aren't serving and the 1 percent, that is deeply problematic as a democracy. —

CBS News, 26 May 2024 The work of journalism is more important than ever in a world where democracy is under threat, corruption bubbles in local government and society faces sharp divisions. —

Shelby Grad, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for democracy

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'democracy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French democracie, democratie, borrowed from Late Latin dēmocratia, borrowed from Greek dēmokratía, from dēmo- demo- + -kratia -cracy

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of democracy was in 1539

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Democracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.

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Kids Definition

democracy

noun

de·moc·ra·cy di-ˈmäk-rə-sē

plural democracies

: government by the people

especially : rule of the majority

: government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation

: a political unit (as a nation) that has a democratic government

: belief in or practice of the idea that all people are socially equal

Etymology

from early French democratie "democracy," from Latin democratia (same meaning), from Greek demokratia "democracy," from dēmos "people, the masses" and -kratia "rule, government," from kratos "strength, power, authority" — related to epidemic

Legal Definition

democracy

noun

de·moc·ra·cy di-ˈmä-krə-sē

plural democracies

: government by the people

especially : rule of the majority

: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

: a political unit that has a democratic government

democratic

ˌde-mə-ˈkra-tik

adjective

democratically adverb

Last Updated: 30 May 2024 - Updated example sentences

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democracy

noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Synonyms

Examples of democracy in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near democracy

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition