Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

direct democracy

American  
[di-rekt di-mah-kruh-see, dahy-rekt] / dɪˈrɛkt dɪˈmɑ krə si, daɪˈrɛkt /

noun

  1. government with direct rule by the people, without the involvement of elected representatives.


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:

Switzerland's system of direct democracy means major political decisions are often deferred to the voters through referenda.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Russians in the capital got a brief and rare taste of direct democracy on Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

But even by the standards of the state’s direct democracy process, the 2026 election stands out.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Opinion polls suggest that both votes, put forward under Switzerland's direct democracy system, could be tight.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

Given this difficulty about quite direct democracy over large areas, I think the nearest thing to democracy is despotism.

From What I Saw in America by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Just like flashcards, but way more fun

Don't take our word for it. Leave the boring studying behind and join VocabTrainer today. You'll learn even faster and never look back.

Take me to Vocabulary.com