democratic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or of the nature of democracy or a democracy.
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pertaining to or characterized by the principle of political or social equality for all.
democratic treatment.
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advocating or upholding democracy.
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(initial capital letter)
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of, relating to, or characteristic of the Democratic Party.
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of, relating to, or belonging to the Democratic-Republican Party.
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adjective
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of, characterized by, derived from, or relating to the principles of democracy
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upholding or favouring democracy or the interests of the common people
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popular with or for the benefit of all
democratic sports
Usage
What does democratic mean? The adjective democratic is used to describe something that operates under or or resembles democracy, a form of government in which the citizens hold the power. Usually, the word democratic is used to describe political systems, governments, or countries that use such systems. It can also be used to describe voting systems, philosophies, or strategies that rely on a majority vote or that allow everyone to give their opinion. When capitalized, Democratic is used in the name of the Democratic Party, one of the major political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. Example: The United States of America practices a democratic form of government where citizens vote on issues and elect politicians by majority vote.
Other Word Forms
- antidemocratic adjective
- antidemocratical adjective
- antidemocratically adverb
- democratically adverb
- half-democratic adjective
- hyperdemocratic adjective
- nondemocratic adjective
- nondemocratical adjective
- nondemocratically adverb
- predemocratic adjective
- prodemocratic adjective
- pseudo-Democratic adjective
- pseudodemocratic adjective
- pseudodemocratically adverb
- quasi-democratic adjective
- quasi-democratically adverb
- superdemocratic adjective
- superdemocratically adverb
- undemocratic adjective
- undemocratically adverb
Etymology
Origin of democratic
1595–1605; < French démocratique or Medieval Latin dēmocraticus, both < Greek dēmokratikós, equivalent to dēmokrat ( ía ) ( democracy ) + -ikos -ic
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.
"If you're talking with other democratic countries, I think agreements might still have some effect," 47-year-old Mac Peng told AFP.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
“We have a long path to a democratic system,” Rahbar said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
This whole big shambolic miracle machine only keeps rolling because we are an amazing thing—a democratic republic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
Understanding that dynamic helps explain why it is essential to distinguish the present dispute from cases in which courts are being asked to intervene to protect democratic participation.
From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026
We were now aligned on the basic framework that would take the country into a democratic future.
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.
