demotic
adjective
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You may recognize the root of demotic from words like democracy and demography. The source of these words is the Greek word dēmos, meaning "people." Demotic is often used of everyday forms of language (as opposed to literary or highbrow versions). It entered English in the early 1800s and originally designated a form of ancient Egyptian cursive script which by the 5th century BCE had come into use everywhere in Egypt for business and literary purposes (in contrast to the more complex, hieratic script retained by the clergy). Demotic has a newer specialized sense, as well, referring to a form of Modern Greek that is based on everyday speech and that since 1976 has been the official language of Greece.
Examples of demotic in a Sentence
Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2025
Other artifacts included over 620 pottery pieces with a mix of hieroglyphics, Greek and demotic writings on them, bronze coins, precious stone beads and tools made of shells, among other items.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025
Written in the demotic style of his native Tipperary, Ryan’s characters sink you deep into the page, pulling you into their mundane lives.
—Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024
But McMahon also used a sophisticated, if frequently racist, strategy of mirroring current events, doubling them in a form demotic enough to capture the attention of the beer-drinking crowd.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for demotic
Cite this Entry
“Demotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demotic. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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