democratic

adjective

dem·​o·​crat·​ic ˌde-mə-ˈkra-tik How to pronounce democratic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or favoring democracy (see democracy sense 1)
democratic elections
a democratic government
2
often capitalized : of or relating to one of the two major political parties in the U.S. evolving in the early 19th century from the anti-federalists and the Democratic-Republican party and associated in modern times with policies of broad social reform and internationalism
the Democratic candidate for governor
3
: relating to, appealing to, or available to the broad masses of the people
democratic art
democratic education
4
: favoring social equality : not snobbish
disagrees with her very democratic husband
democratically adverb

Examples of democratic in a Sentence

Democratic elections were held there today for the first time. the country's new democratic constitution Debates are an important part of the democratic process. The Democratic candidate for governor won the debate. Most of these policies appeal to Democratic voters. an interview with a leader of the Democratic Party The organization works to promote democratic reforms around the world. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Nor has Elon Musk, at any point in his career, displayed any commitment to either democratic governance or the freedom of expression. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 Israel faces an ongoing constitutional crisis — without a constitution The court could determine that the law does not meet the threshold for invalidation, while signaling to the Knesset that future measures more obviously in violation of democratic principles might be overturned. Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2023 The two contenders are Sandra Torres, candidate of the formerly democratic, increasingly right-leaning National Unity of Hope (UNE), who obtained 881,592 votes (15.8%) in the first round. Soudi Jiménez, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2023 But democratic Europe was not Zdarsky’s destination. Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2023 If our leaders violate sacrosanct democratic principles, they will be held accountable regardless of the political fallout. Julian Zelizer, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2023 Christie has voiced support for Ukraine as a democratic ally and his visit highlighted the sharp GOP divisions over U.S. financial backing for Kyiv. Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2023 In judicial overhaul protests, Israel’s soldiers face off against Netanyahu Washington’s overheated discourse on Israel serves as a major constraint on any administration that may want to speak up for Palestinian human rights or against the Israeli state’s democratic erosion. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 July 2023 Israel is facing extraordinary turmoil and a democratic crisis as opposition leaders and protesters step up their campaign against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 25 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'democratic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French democratique, borrowed from Medieval Latin dēmocraticus, borrowed from Greek dēmokratikós, from dēmokratía democracy + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of democratic was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near democratic

Cite this Entry

“Democratic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democratic. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

democratic

adjective
dem·​o·​crat·​ic ˌdem-ə-ˈkrat-ik How to pronounce democratic (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or favoring political, social, or economic democracy
2
capitalized : of or relating to a major U.S. political party associated with policies of helping the common people and encouraging cooperation between nations
3
: of, relating to, or appealing to the common people
democratic art
4
: favoring social equality : not snobbish
democratically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on democratic

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