theocracy

American  

[thee-ok-ruh-see] / θiˈɒk rə si /

noun

plural

theocracies

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

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

Etymology

Origin of theocracy

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

Example Sentences

Of these culturally Muslim, rural working classes often credited with wanting a theocracy, my mother says “they just wanted someone to give them their rights. The only thing that united them was basic human needs.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

In Westwood — the epicenter of the community, where the eponymous boulevard is lined by storefronts covered in Persian script — the widespread opposition to Iran’s hard-line theocracy is hard to miss.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

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

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2024

Intersected at its peak by a thin crescent — most likely a representation of the Golden Order, the dark fantasy world’s ruling theocracy — it feels bluntly referential to saints and prophets and resurrections.

From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2024

Under a government in which theocracy, monarchy, patriarchal authority, and popular will, were singularly complicated and balanced, they traversed centuries of prosperity and glory.

From The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races With Particular Reference to Their Respective Influence in the Civil and Political History of Mankind by Arthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)