democrat
noun
an advocate of democracy.
democrat
1 American
[dem-uh-krat]
/ ˈdɛm əˌkræt /
noun
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democrats
plural
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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:
“I’m a small-d democrat, and I think that people will vote with their feet and will embrace this museum as their own.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
My Uncle was not of accord with him and I, who am neither democrat nor philanthropist, would not pretend to decide between them.
From Our Philadelphia by Elizabeth Robins Pennell
Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat known for taking a skeptical stance on virtual currencies.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, are asking House members for written pledges that they won’t block midterm winners from taking their seats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The proposed removal of wartime leader Churchill angered Reform leader Nigel Farage, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch describing the move as "a silly thing to do".
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
The race for California’s next lieutenant governor offers voters a familiar choice between a Democrat and Republican to succeed termed-out Lt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Papa was an ardent Democrat but mama just didn’t care.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
The outcry from Mexican democrats who cherish free speech has been extraordinary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Nature Friends is a branch of Naturfreunde, founded in 1895 by social democrats to enrich the lives of factory workers in Vienna.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
Oregon Congresswoman Edith Green offered her take on a compromise: seating loyal democrats from both parties.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2024
"We democrats have to stop the finger-pointing, sit down together and find a position that lives up to that responsibility."
From Reuters ● Sep. 15, 2023
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.
