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.

---

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

---

democracy Cultural  

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

---

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

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

Inflected Forms

noun

• 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

In 2008, Duncan also received the National Association of Secretaries of State’s Margaret Chase Smith American Democracy Award for political courage and public service.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

“They’re so totally aligned with the U.S. government and U.S. government interests,” says Michael H. Posner, who was Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the Obama administration.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

Michael Li, senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, said California is a “big part of the story” this election cycle, thanks to Proposition 50.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

The best critic of liberal individualism is Tocqueville in Democracy in America.

From Slate • May 16, 2026

For example, in Problems in American Democracy the other day, Mr. Weiner asked him what kind of homes early American settlers lived in, and John said tree huts.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel

Related Words

• equality
• freedom
• justice