democratic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.
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pertaining to or characterized by the principle of political or social equality for all.
democratic treatment.
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advocating or upholding democracy.
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(initial capital letter)
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of, relating to, or characteristic of the Democratic Party.
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of, relating to, or belonging to the Democratic-Republican Party.
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adjective
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of, characterized by, derived from, or relating to the principles of democracy
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upholding or favouring democracy or the interests of the common people
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popular with or for the benefit of all
democratic sports
Usage
What does democratic mean? The adjective democratic is used to describe something that operates under or or resembles democracy, a form of government in which the citizens hold the power. Usually, the word democratic is used to describe political systems, governments, or countries that use such systems. It can also be used to describe voting systems, philosophies, or strategies that rely on a majority vote or that allow everyone to give their opinion. When capitalized, Democratic is used in the name of the Democratic Party, one of the major political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. Example: The United States of America practices a democratic form of government where citizens vote on issues and elect politicians by majority vote.
Other Word Forms
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antidemocraticadjective
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antidemocraticaladjective
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half-democraticadjective
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hyperdemocraticadjective
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nondemocraticadjective
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nondemocraticaladjective
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predemocraticadjective
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prodemocraticadjective
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pseudo-Democraticadjective
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pseudodemocraticadjective
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quasi-democraticadjective
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superdemocraticadjective
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undemocraticadjective
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antidemocraticallyadverb
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democraticallyadverb
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nondemocraticallyadverb
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pseudodemocraticallyadverb
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quasi-democraticallyadverb
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superdemocraticallyadverb
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undemocraticallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of democratic
1595–1605; < French démocratique or Medieval Latin dēmocraticus, both < Greek dēmokratikós, equivalent to dēmokrat ( ía ) ( see democracy) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Things that are democratic are ruled by the people, for the people. A basic democratic process involves letting everyone vote on what they think is best for the whole group. Democratic government started thousands of years ago in ancient Greece, but it's still catching on all over the world. A dictatorship or monarchy is ruled by one person, but in a democratic society, or a democracy, the people rule. Even though there is a leader — a President in the United States — he or she is elected by the people. Anything that allows people more say in the government is democratic.
Vocabulary lists containing democratic
Africa - Introductory
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Canada - Introductory
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Eastern Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The EU sees greater cooperation with Canada as the first step in building a broader alliance of like-minded global democratic allies, like Australia and Japan, to increase economic security and independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
ASEAN's special Myanmar envoy, Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, wrapped up a two-day visit to the nation Thursday, with no sign of meeting detained democratic ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
The Central Elections Committee ultimately rejected their request, saying that "the current circumstances do not justify an extension" and that the high turnout "reflects strong public engagement in the democratic process".
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
This is the first time since Brazil returned to democratic elections in 1989 that a candidate who placed second in the first round went on to win the runoff.
From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026
In a democratic country you'd think there would be room for both of them, but computers won't rest until I'm making my ribbons from torn shirts and brewing Wite-Out in my bathtub.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
