theocracy

[ thee-ok-ruh-see ]
See synonyms for: theocracytheocratical on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural the·oc·ra·cies.
  1. a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God's or deity's laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities.

  2. a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission.

  1. a commonwealth or state under such a form or system of government.

Origin of theocracy

1
From the Greek word theokratía, dating back to 1615–25; see theo-, -cracy

Other words from theocracy

  • the·o·crat·ic [thee-uh-krat-ik], /ˌθi əˈkræt ɪk/, the·o·crat·i·cal, adjective

Words Nearby theocracy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use theocracy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for theocracy

theocracy

/ (θɪˈɒkrəsɪ) /


nounplural -cies
  1. government by a deity or by a priesthood

  2. a community or political unit under such government

Derived forms of theocracy

  • theocrat, noun
  • theocratic or theocratical, adjective
  • theocratically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for theocracy

theocracy

[ (thee-ok-ruh-see) ]


A nation or state in which the clergy exercise political power and in which religious law is dominant over civil law. Iran led by the Ayatollah Khomeini was a theocracy under the Islamic clergy. (See Islam.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.