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representative democracy

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

noun

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


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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:

And at the same time, they were building up, while extremely limited, a representative democracy.

From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026

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

Our research has shown that people around the globe think representative democracy is a good system of government.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2026

A few things are worth noting here, seeing as how California is supposed to be governed by a representative democracy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2025

This being a direct rather than a representative democracy, membership of the demos, or sovereign body, was by right rather than by election, and every decision was taken on a one-man, one-vote basis.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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