Examples of sortition in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The ancient Greeks invented democracy, and in Athens many government officials were selected through sortition — a random lottery from a pool of candidates.
—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
6 Sep. 2023
Citizens’ assemblies are the latest incarnation of an idea called sortition, the random selection of representatives, that dates back to classical Athens.
—
Ariel Procaccia,
Scientific American,
20 Oct. 2022
Private property first appeared as a concept in sacred contexts, as did police functions and a whole panoply of formal democratic procedures, such as election and sortition.
—
David Graeber,
Harper's Magazine,
26 Oct. 2021
The ancient Athenian choice of sortition—the selection of government by lottery—was based on the understanding that elections would inevitably favor the aristocracy, and in a democracy the government should be a mirror of the governed.
—
Masha Gessen,
The New Yorker,
15 July 2019
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Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
6 Sep. 2023
Citizens’ assemblies are the latest incarnation of an idea called sortition, the random selection of representatives, that dates back to classical Athens.
—
Ariel Procaccia,
Scientific American,
20 Oct. 2022
Private property first appeared as a concept in sacred contexts, as did police functions and a whole panoply of formal democratic procedures, such as election and sortition.
—
David Graeber,
Harper's Magazine,
26 Oct. 2021
The ancient Athenian choice of sortition—the selection of government by lottery—was based on the understanding that elections would inevitably favor the aristocracy, and in a democracy the government should be a mirror of the governed.
—
Masha Gessen,
The New Yorker,
15 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Sortition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sortition. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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