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

theobald, theobromine, theocentric, theoclymenus, theocon, theocracy, theocrasy, theocrat, theocritus, theodicy, theodolite
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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.