theocracy

[ thee-ok-ruh-see ]
/ θiˈɒk rə si /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR theocracy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural the·oc·ra·cies.

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.
a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission.
a commonwealth or state under such a form or system of government.

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Origin of theocracy

From the Greek word theokratía, dating back to 1615–25. See theo-, -cracy

OTHER WORDS FROM theocracy

Words nearby theocracy

theobromine, The Occident, theocentric, Theoclymenus, theocon, theocracy, theocrasy, theocrat, Theocritus, odds are, the, theodicy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to theocracy

hierocracy

Example sentences from the Web for theocracy

British Dictionary definitions for theocracy

theocracy
/ (θɪˈɒkrəsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

government by a deity or by a priesthood
a community or political unit under such government

Derived forms of theocracy

theocrat, nountheocratic or theocratical, adjectivetheocratically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for theocracy

theocracy
[ (thee-ok-ruh-see) ]

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.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.