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; 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

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

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Iran’s government is an explicit theocracy with the ayatollah, the supreme leader, maintaining both a religious and political role.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

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

They’re poignant reminders of a time in L.A.’s Westwood “Tehrangeles” neighborhood when, in the years just after the 1979 Iranian revolution, immigrants here made music while their homeland roiled with ascendant theocracy.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2025

Instead of wishing to change the theocracy, we might have expected that every Israelite, capable of appreciating solid benefits, would have clung to it as his greatest privilege and his greatest honour.

From The Expositor's Bible: The First Book of Samuel by Blaikie, William Garden