democracy

American  

[dih-mok-ruh-see] / dɪˈmɒk rə si /

noun

plural

democracies

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

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

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

“I think American history shows there's always been a contest, even during what one historian called ‘the nadir of American democracy’ and Black freedom in the late 19th century.”

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2025

Kudos for the March 7 editorial “The U.S. ‘arsenal of democracy’ is critical to Ukraine’s fate.”

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2023

“I think these were, for her, life-changing events to witness. Because they made us realize how utterly difficult – and how precious – this idea of ‘market democracy’ really was.”

From The Guardian • Nov. 21, 2019

“States are ‘laboratories of democracy’ and this is a chance to come together and share ideas on everything from economic development and education to health care and criminal justice,” said North Dakota Sen. Tim Flakoll.

From Washington Times • Jul. 10, 2015

I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy' and freedom for all!

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• equality
• freedom
• justice