democratic socialism

American  

noun

1. socialism, or a modified form of socialism, achieved by a gradual transition by and under democratic political processes.

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Other Word Forms

• democratic socialist noun

Etymology

Origin of democratic socialism

First recorded in 1845–50

Compare meaning

How does democratic-socialism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• democratic socialism vs. socialism
• social democracy vs. democratic socialism
• social democrat vs. democratic socialism

Example Sentences

Virtually airbrushed out are principal figures like Howe, Norman Thomas and Michael Harrington, who battled to disentangle democratic socialism from Communism.

From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2020

His speech Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington comes on the heels of an address Sanders gave Wednesday that was an impassioned defense of his democratic socialism philosophy.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 13, 2019

Ocasio-Cortez then connected her argument to the larger ideals of democratic socialism.

From Salon • Jun. 11, 2019

But it’s so full of ambiguous phrases that I think your definition of what democratic socialism is puts a little more meat on the bones than hers does.

From Slate • Sep. 21, 2018

Platonic and Stoical philosophy—prophetic liberalism—the strong democratic socialism of the Jewish political system—the existence of innumerable sodalities for religious and social purposes—had thrown the ancient world into a state of unstable equilibrium.

From Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley — Volume 3 by Huxley, Leonard