democrat

noun

dem·​o·​crat ˈde-mə-ˌkrat 

plural democrats

1

Democrat plural Democrats : a member of the Democratic party of the U.S. : a member of one of the two major political parties in the U.S. that is usually associated with government regulation of business, finance, and industry, with federally funded educational and social services, with separation of church and state, with support for abortion rights, affirmative action, gun control, and policies and laws that protect and support the rights of workers and minorities, and with internationalism and multilateralism in foreign policy

Note: Democrats are associated with liberalism and/or progressivism and the political Left (see left entry 2 sense 3a).

compare republican

2

old-fashioned

a

: one that favors or supports a democratic form of government (see democratic sense 2) : an adherent or advocate of democracy

It seems so easy for America to inspire and express the most expansive and humane spirit; new-born, free, healthful, strong, the land of the laborer, of the democrat, of the philanthropist, of the believer, of the saint, she should speak for the human race.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was as much as ever a radical and democrat for Europe, and especially for England. I thought the predominance of the aristocratic classes, the noble and the rich, in the English Constitution, an evil worth any struggle to get rid of …

—John Stuart Mill

b

: one who practices or believes in social equality

The American, if intellectually an aristocrat, was still socially and subconsciously a democrat. It had never crossed his mind that the poet should be counted lucky to know the squire and not the squire to know the poet.

—G. K. Chesterton

He rejoiced to call himself a democrat, and would boast that rank could have no effect on him.

—Anthony Trollope

Synonyms of democrat

• socialist
• populist

Examples of democrat in a Sentence

a true democrat, he has always abhorred that nation's class system

Recent Examples on the Web

Aren’t Democrats the ones that like public matching programs? —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2026

Democrats’ favorability among registered Democrats stood at +49 points, with 70 percent viewing the party favorably and 21 percent viewing it unfavorably. —Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026

An open seat, particularly in a midterm year, could slightly boost Democrats’ chances of flipping the seat. —Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026

Cornyn blamed Democrats for causing the DHS shutdown. —Jack Fink, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French démocrate, derivative from the base of démocratie democracy or démocratique democratic, probably after aristocrate aristocrat

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for democrat

• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• diplomat
• guzerat

Kids Definition

democrat

noun

dem·​o·​crat ˈdem-ə-ˌkrat 

1

: one who believes in or practices democracy

2

capitalized : a member of the Democratic party of the U.S.