Tocqueville

American

[tohk-vil, tok-, tawk-veel] / ˈtoʊk vɪl, ˈtɒk-, tɔkˈvil /

noun

Alexis Charles Henri Maurice Clérel de 1805–59, French statesman and author.

Tocqueville British

/ tɔkvil, ˈtɒk-, ˈtəʊkvɪl /

noun

Alexis Charles Henri Maurice Clérel de (alɛksi ʃarl ɑ̃ri mɔris klerɛl də). 1805–59, French politician and political writer. His chief works are De la Démocratie en Amérique (1835–40) and L'Ancien régime et la révolution (1856)

"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

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.

Alexis de Tocqueville observed that democracies die when people become isolated, and that Americans overcome this danger by coming together.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

That is what Alexis de Tocqueville called “the habits of the heart” of democracy.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2024

Speakers summoned the grand ideas of figures like the Pope, Homer, Dostoyevsky, Leo Strauss, Tocqueville and Gramsci.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 16, 2024

As Alexis de Tocqueville observed 175 years ago, Americans always think it’s all about them.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2024

Alexis de Tocqueville is famous for his seminal book Democracy in America, but what is less well known is his original purpose in coming to the United States.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023