democratize
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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democratizes,
present (3rd person singular)
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democratized,
past participle, past
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democratizing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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de-democratizationnoun
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democratizationnoun
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democratizernoun
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redemocratizationnoun
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undemocratizationnoun
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de-democratizeverb
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redemocratizeverb
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undemocratizeverb (used with object)
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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democratizesimple
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democratizessimple
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have democratizedperfect
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has democratizedperfect
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am democratizingprogressive
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are democratizingprogressive
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is democratizingprogressive
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have been democratizingperfect progressive
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has been democratizingperfect progressive
Past
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democratizedsimple
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had democratizedperfect
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was democratizingprogressive
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were democratizingprogressive
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had been democratizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of democratize
1790–1800; < French démocratiser, equivalent to démocrate democrat + -iser -ize
Explanation
To democratize is to make an organization more democratic, supporting a system in which all citizens have a voice or a vote. When you democratize your school French club, you allow every member to vote on each decision. You'll most often see the verb democratize in the context of world politics, when countries that have historically not been democracies change their governments to be more democratic. In many cases, other countries, such as the U.S., try to influence such governments to make this change: they democratize them, in other words. The word democratize comes from the Greek root demokratia, "popular government," from demos, "common people," and kratos, "rule."
Vocabulary lists containing democratize
We the People: Dem
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-cracy, -crat
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Comparative Political Systems
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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:
Some of these platforms have become key players treating the millions of Americans taking GLP-1s to lose weight, and they have helped democratize access to GLP-1 medications, which provide health benefits far beyond weight loss.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The cord-cutting revolution was supposed to democratize television, liberating citizens from corporate gatekeepers.
From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026
"It's a very important moment, because in 1948 the 2CV gave freedom of mobility to millions, and 80 years later, the new 2CV will democratize electric mobility," Chardon said.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
He pitched it as a way to democratize access to a successful hedge-fund strategy for ordinary investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026
Over the next four years, the DUC put forward a number of key reforms to modernize the economy and to democratize the political system.
From The 2003 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
It democratizes constitutional enforcement because it poses the simplest and most urgent question: Does the state have actual grounds to take away this person’s liberty?
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
It democratizes royal dignity, extending it to everyone—man and woman, slave and sovereign, each bearing inestimable worth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The business partners said their service-charge model democratizes a dining staff’s earnings for everyone in their restaurants, and that customers are offered information that states the fee is not a tip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2023
I think that what having this as a docuseries does is, in some ways, democratizes access.
From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2023
“I know that how China democratizes and comes to value human rights, that’s the Chinese people’s responsibility and work.”
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2022
Social media has democratized food storytelling in remarkable ways, but it has also created an endless stream of restaurant rankings, viral menu hacks and “must-try” lists that reward speed over substance.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Even more profoundly, cassettes democratized access to the act of recording itself since cassette technology required minimal infrastructure and cost.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
Talkies also democratized moviegoing since literacy was no longer required.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
“It really democratized beauty during that period, because of creators teaching people how to achieve professional-grade makeup looks in their own homes,” Canaves said.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 7, 2026
He had reduced private ownership of land, nationalized certain sectors of the economy, pioneered rapid industrialization, democratized education, and built a modem army.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
AI is democratizing access to capabilities in ways we have not seen before.
From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026
“Privée is democratizing entry into a category traditionally controlled by boutique relationships, and resale markups,” said Wayne Geffen, who founded Vivrelle with his wife, Blake Geffen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Companies such as Zillow Rentals and CoStar’s Apartments.com have been successful in democratizing access to listings by aggregating the supply in one location.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2025
“Opening it up in a much broader application, I think is a huge step forward in really democratizing how anybody can start to police use of their likeness with respect to AI and AI platforms.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025
Barack and I knew we wanted to do a better job of democratizing the White House, making it feel less elitist and more open.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
