theocracy

American  

[thee-ok-ruh-see] / θiˈɒk rə si /

noun

theocracies plural

1. a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God's or deity's laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities.

2. a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission.

3. a commonwealth or state under such a form or system of government.

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theocracy British  

/ θɪˈɒkrəsɪ /

noun

1. government by a deity or by a priesthood

2. a community or political unit under such government

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theocracy Cultural  

1. A nation or state in which the clergy exercise political power and in which religious law is dominant over civil law. Iran led by the Ayatollah Khomeini was a theocracy under the Islamic clergy. (See Islam.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• theocrat
  noun
• theocratic
  adjective
• theocratical
  adjective
• theocratically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• theocracies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of theocracy

From the Greek word theokratía, dating back to 1615–25; see theo-, -cracy

Explanation

When religious doctrine is the law of the land, most likely you're living in a theocracy. There's not a lot of room for dissent in theocracies, where religious leaders are in charge and say they are speaking for God. Notice the similarities between theocracy and democracy? In Greek, theo- means "God" and -kratia "power or rule." A democracy is ruled by dēmos, "the people." An autocracy is one ruled by a single person with absolute power, like a king (or your mom). In theocracies, God rules.

Example Sentences

The theocracy feared an insurrection—and met it head-on in January.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

But there are more pressing priorities for Iran's theocracy in this moment.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

She added that her family was happy, but that they expected the collapse of the theocracy to take a longer time.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

We might use the term theocracy, although it's a little more complicated than that.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2024

The last member of the triune conception of the Deity was considered, under the Brahminical theocracy, the living, vital, active, life-imparting agent in both the first and second births of men and the gods.

From The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors Or, Christianity Before Christ by Graves, Kersey