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 I think that’s the beauty of democracy and is the beauty of this big-tent coalition that we’re trying to build here.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

The government said it was working on a new scheme to increase young people's involvement in democracy and decision-making, with further announcements due this autumn.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Chile-based Latinobarometro is a non-profit organization that surveys opinions on a range of issues, from democracy to the economy, security and migration.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Local journalism is the backbone of an informed democracy, and today California made clear that the people doing this essential work are worth investing in,” Ward said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

In the 1960s, African American leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., made the right to vote, the most fundamental right in any democracy, their highest priority.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

"Impunity can be defeated and democracies can place limits on arbitrary power."

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

That democracies have the freedom to choose with whom to work," von der Leyen said. "

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Second, U.S. companies should promote cooperation among democracies to mitigate risks while preserving their technological edge over China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Amodei’s other proposals included working with democracies to set safety standards and finding ways to ensure Chinese entities also comply.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

Lawrence replied that “the idea of a federation of democracies may have much practical merit, but... I would not think of using my position as a scientist in furthering such a political movement.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• equality
• freedom
• justice