representative democracy

American  

[rep-ri-zent-uh-tiv-di-mahk-ruh-see] / ˌrɛp rɪˈzɛnt ə tɪv dɪˈmɑk rə si /

noun

plural

representative democracies

1. a political system in which the people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf in a governing body.

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Other Word Forms

• unrepresentative democracy noun

Example Sentences

That makes the rich especially valuable in a representative democracy like the U.S., where policy is normally shaped by the play of public opinion, competition among interest groups and the weight of a permanent bureaucracy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

“The concern for the public and for representative democracy is that you’re going to have a lot of tit for tat moving forward,” Skelley told Salon.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2025

But no one ever said this representative democracy thing was going to be easy, or endlessly uplifting.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2025

Next time, he should consider learning how representative democracy works.

From Slate • May 31, 2025

It little resembles the representative democracy we recognize today, so it’s worth making a brief sketch of how it worked.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith