democrat
noun
an advocate of democracy.
democrat
1 American
[dem-uh-krat]
/ ˈdɛm əˌkræt /
noun
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democrats
plural
-
an advocate of democracy.
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a person who believes in the political or social equality of all people.
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Politics. Democrat,
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a member of the Democratic Party.
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U.S. History. a member of the Democratic-Republican Party.
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Also called democrat wagon. a high, lightweight, horse-drawn wagon, usually having two seats.
Democrat
2
American
[dem-uhkrat]
/ ˈdɛmˌəkræt /
noun
Democrat
1
British
/ ˈdɛməˌkræt /
noun
democrat
2
British
/ ˈdɛməˌkræt /
noun
-
an advocate of democracy; adherent of democratic principles
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a member or supporter of a democratic party or movement
Democrat
Cultural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of democrat
First recorded in 1780–90; from French démocrate, back formation from démocratie democracy; see demo-, -crat
Explanation
A democrat is a person who believes in the rule of the people. If you think students should have a say in what courses they take in school, then it's very likely that you're a democrat. A democrat was a word that originally referred to a republican in the French Revolution, or someone who opposed the aristocracy. The prefix demo- means "common people." Democracy is a political system promoting the rule of the common people over the rich or elites. It presumes that every person should have a say in choosing who gets to represent him in government, and should be involved in promoting his own rights. A democrat is a person who believes in democracy.
Vocabulary lists containing democrat
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
EU social democrat lawmaker Rene Repasi, who will spearhead negotiations with European capitals on a final version of the law, has already included a raft of worker-friendly proposals in his draft report.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
He could be pretty high-and-mighty, and certainly not exactly a small-d democrat.
From Slate ● Feb. 16, 2026
Gibbon, no democrat, spent much of his time reading voraciously and carried some English biases and feuds into his writing, but he illuminated Augustus’ strategies in ways that America’s framers found sobering, cautionary and salutary.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2025
Chancellor Scholz – a social democrat whose coalition government collapsed last year – castigated Merz for his actions.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025
“James, let me assure you in all candor that Hazel Brooke is not the lady our Sam is worrying about, as the fair democrat can testify.”
From An Oregon Girl A Tale of American Life in the New West by Alfred Ernest Rice
Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, served as a U.S. representative from Pennsylvania, 2007-11, and as undersecretary of the Army, 2016-17.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
"My mother was a Democrat and my daddy was a Republican, so I’m a hypocrite," she quipped.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, has been trying for several years to get a bill through the House of Representatives but could not move the ball before her upcoming retirement in January.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Flippo’s main opponent is Teresa Benitez-Thompson, 48, a longtime Reno resident, former member of the state Assembly and a relatively moderate Democrat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
On November i, 1872, Susan B. Anthony opened a copy of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
The outcry from Mexican democrats who cherish free speech has been extraordinary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Oregon Congresswoman Edith Green offered her take on a compromise: seating loyal democrats from both parties.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2024
Pendarovski, 61, is running for a second five-year term with support from the country’s governing social democrats.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 23, 2024
Latin America’s democracies and democrats don’t get enough credit for weathering inequality, violence and economic stagnation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2024
The Magna Carta, the Petition of Rights and the Bill of Rights, are documents which are held in veneration by democrats throughout the world.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
