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.