theocracy
noun
the·oc·ra·cy
thē-ˈä-krə-sē 
plural theocracies
1
: government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided
2
: a state governed by a theocracy
Examples of theocracy in a Sentence
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The purpose of Iran is Shiite theocracy, for its own sake and as a counterweight to democratic, secular, and Sunni governments allied with the United States in the region.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Khamenei’s public absence throughout the conflict and his raspy speech in its aftermath have prompted speculation about his health and the theocracy’s continuity of leadership.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025
Any sense that history trends in a general direction—toward freedom, perhaps, or toward rights, markets, secularism, or science—is confounded by a large, prosperous country becoming a hard-line semi-theocracy.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Continued outreach only extends the life of a theocracy fundamentally opposed to democratic values.
—Tom Ridge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
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Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Khamenei’s public absence throughout the conflict and his raspy speech in its aftermath have prompted speculation about his health and the theocracy’s continuity of leadership.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025
Any sense that history trends in a general direction—toward freedom, perhaps, or toward rights, markets, secularism, or science—is confounded by a large, prosperous country becoming a hard-line semi-theocracy.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Continued outreach only extends the life of a theocracy fundamentally opposed to democratic values.
—Tom Ridge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for theocracy
Cite this Entry
“Theocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theocracy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
theocracy
noun
the·oc·ra·cy
thē-ˈäk-rə-sē
plural theocracies
1
: government of a country by officials believed to have divine guidance
2
: a country governed by a theocracy
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