social democracy

American  

noun

1. a political ideology advocating a gradual transition to socialism or a modified form of socialism by and under democratic political processes.

2. a system of government achieved in this way.

   Sweden’s social democracy.

3. Social Democracy, the principles and policies of any of certain Social Democratic parties, especially in Europe.

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social democracy British  

noun

1. (sometimes capital) the beliefs, principles, practices, or programme of a Social Democratic Party or of social democrats

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Other Word Forms

• social democratic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of social democracy

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

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

• social democracy vs. democratic socialism

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

social democracy

Storytelling, metaphors, and allowing more voices to share their subjective and personal experiences of power and society are necessary tools for creating real social democracy.

From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2023

One of the largest and most influential of the political parties that espoused social democracy was the German Social Democratic Party.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 14, 2022

To some extent, social democracy foundered on an outbreak of bad luck.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2022

This would grab attention in any country, but especially in Sweden, a country that is known for egalitarian social democracy.

From New York Times ● Sep. 14, 2022

Lilburne was concerned with the establishment of a political democracy, Winstanley with a social democracy, and in both cases the propaganda was offensive to the Protector.

From The Rise of the Democracy by Clayton, Joseph