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

The role of compromise is critical in a democracy, but with an important caveat: Compromise untethered from principled leadership corrodes democratic legitimacy rather than preserving it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

New York court judge Analisa Torres said Guo had "preyed on those seeking to bring democracy to China", taking their money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

At 250 years old, the United States is the oldest continuous modern democracy, which is startling when you realize that, by historical standards, we are still a pretty young country.

From Salon • Jun. 30, 2026

“The work of democracy is never finished, and securing its future is our greatest calling,” Pelosi said in an interview with The Times.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

“It’s John Adams. He meant democracy is fragile. All we can do right now is go along.”

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

• equality
• freedom
• justice