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

See Examples For:

theocracy theocracies

Yet it’s entirely possible that the theocracy will crack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

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

From BBC ● Apr. 15, 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

Their government is a theocracy, the development apparently of what is believed by them to be a new dispensation.

From Ti-Ping Tien-Kwoh The History of the Ti-Ping Revolution (Volume I) by Augustus F. Lindley

The pope vowed that the church was not in the business of building theocracies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

Oligarchs exist in authoritarian countries, they exist in theocracies, and they exist in modern democracies.

From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2024

They came here to escape war, political and religious persecution, lack of opportunity and corrupt systems lead by despotic strongmen or brutal theocracies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2024

From theocracies to autocracies and, of course, some democracies too, the list is long.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2022

In conclusion, we may say, that it was cosmography, that constructed the dogmas of the Druidical religion, which was, in its essential elements, the same as that of the old Oriental theocracies.

From Astronomical Myths Based on Flammarions's History of the Heavens by John F. Blake