democracy

American  

[dih-mok-ruh-see] / dɪˈmɒk rə si /

noun

• democracies
  plural

1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

2. a state having such a form of government.

   The United States and Canada are democracies.

3. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.

4. political or social equality; democratic spirit.

5. the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power.

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democracy British  

/ dɪˈmɒkrəsɪ /

noun

1. government by the people or their elected representatives

2. a political or social unit governed ultimately by all its members

3. the practice or spirit of social equality

4. a social condition of classlessness and equality

5. the common people, esp as a political force

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democracy Cultural  

1. A system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives.

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Usage

What is democracy? Democracy is a system of government where the citizens of a state exercise power to rule the state, either directly or through electing representatives.

Discover More

Democratic institutions, such as parliaments, may exist in a monarchy. Such constitutional monarchies as Britain, Canada, and Sweden are generally counted as democracies in practice.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antidemocracy
  noun
• nondemocracy
  noun
• predemocracy
  noun
• prodemocracy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• democracies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of democracy

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French démocratie, from Late Latin dēmocratia, from Greek dēmokratía “popular government,” equivalent to dēmo- demo- + -kratia -cracy

Explanation

Whether you're talking about your glee club or a powerful nation, the word democracy describes government based on participation of the people, either directly or through elected representatives. Democracy traces back to the Greek words demos, meaning "people," and kratia, meaning "power." "People power" remains central to democracy, whether you're describing a country or a much smaller organization. If your glee club is run as a democracy, then everybody gets to vote on questions like what you're going to sing and what kind of outfits you’re going to wear. Because democracy assumes some idea of equality, it's often used to mean a just society, one in which everyone is treated equally.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

democracy democracies

And frankly, a film as pleasant but ephemeral as this isn’t going to push democracy any further into the dark.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

His policy platform often lampoons mainstream politics while drawing on genuine public anger and frustrations, and advocating in support of democracy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Three months before the midterms, with much of the American public concerned about democracy and trust in elections dropping, officials are paying attention to anything that could create further uncertainty around how elections are run.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Hsu began to better understand Taiwan’s struggle toward democracy, and she was deeply moved.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

Supreme Court—the one branch of government charged with the responsibility of protecting “discrete and insular minorities” from the excesses of majoritarian democracy and guaranteeing constitutional rights for groups deemed unpopular or subject to prejudice.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Since gaining independence from Britain in 1964 under founding president Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia has earned a reputation as one of southern Africa's more stable democracies, with a history of peaceful transfers of power.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

One new program with $4.9 million of competitive funding available to groups to develop “civilizational self-confidence in Europe” is slated for “research, conferences, cultural engagements, and support for civil society” in wealthy democracies.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

In most modern democracies, everyone has an equal vote.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

This month, Greer was in India, meeting with Piyush Goyal, the trade minister, and other officials about completing a trade agreement between the world’s two largest democracies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Even in democracies today, crucial knowledge is available to only a few individuals, who control the flow of information to the rest of the government and consequently control decisions.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• equality
• freedom
• justice