democracy

Q: What is the basic meaning of 'democracy'?

The word democracy most often refers to a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting.

noun

de·moc·ra·cy | \ di-ˈmä-krə-sē

plural democracies

Essential Meaning of democracy

1 : a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting The nation has chosen democracy over monarchy. the principles of democracy

2 : a country ruled by democracy In a democracy, every citizen should have the right to vote. Western democracies

3 : an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has equal rights The company is not a democracy; decisions are made by a board of directors, not the workers. There is democracy within the company.

Full Definition of democracy

1a : government by the people especially : rule of the majority

b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

2 : a political unit that has a democratic government

3 capitalized : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the U.S. from emancipation Republicanism to New Deal Democracy— C. M. Roberts

4 : the common people especially when constituting the source of political authority

5 : the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges

Synonyms Frequently Asked Questions About democracy More Example Sentences Learn More About democracy

Frequently Asked Questions About democracy

Is the United States a democracy or a republic?

The United States is both a democracy and a republic. Democracies and republics are both forms of government in which supreme power resides in the citizens. The word republic refers specifically to a government in which those citizens elect representatives who govern according to the law. The word democracy can refer to this same kind of representational government, or it can refer instead to what is also called a direct democracy, in which the citizens themselves participate in the act of governing directly.

What is the basic meaning of democracy?

The word democracy most often refers to a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting.

What is a democratic system of government?

A democratic system of government is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodic free elections.

Examples of democracy in a Sentence

Democracy, I would repeat, is the noblest form of government we have yet evolved … — Norman Mailer, New York Review of Books, 27 Mar. 2002 … this and the economic failures of faithful democracies in places such as India or the Anglophone Caribbean demonstrated conclusively that there was no inherent link between freedom and capitalism … — Orlando Patterson, New Republic, 8 Nov. 1999 Even in democracies today, crucial knowledge is available to only a few individuals … — Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, 1997 The nation has chosen democracy over monarchy. In a democracy, every citizen should have the right to vote. The company is not a democracy; decisions are made by a board of directors, not the workers. There is democracy within the company.

Recent Examples on the Web But this is where our nation finds itself as the GOP rejects a robust democracy in the pursuit of electoral autocracy. — Dean Obeidallah, CNN, 21 Nov. 2021 As in any healthy democracy, it was decided by the people of New Hampshire. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2021 Taking the map-drawing process out of the hands of lawmakers under pressure to win elections, the thinking went, would make American democracy more fair. — New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021 The summit comes at a discouraging time for democracy supporters on the continent, where a rash of military coups in Sudan, Guinea, Chad and Mali have soured efforts to consolidate democratic gains. — Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2021 This final failure will be massively delegitimizing for the United States and for small-d democracy around the world. — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 17 Nov. 2021 The Mexican president has also brushed aside norms and undermined checks on his power, moves that critics allege have undermined Mexican democracy. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2021 American democracy is entering a strange and perilous period. — David Rohde, The New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2021 But Apple is ignoring laws passed by Korea’s democracy. — Jacob Siegal, BGR, 16 Nov. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'democracy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near democracy

demobilize

democracy

democrat

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Last Updated

25 Nov 2021

Cite this Entry

“Democracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy. Accessed 2 Dec. 2021.

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More Definitions for democracy

democracy

noun

de·moc·ra·cy | \ di-ˈmä-krə-sē

plural democracies

Kids Definition of democracy

1 : government by the people : majority rule

2 : government in which the highest power is held by the people and is usually used through representatives

3 : a political unit (as a nation) governed by the people

4 : belief in or practice of the idea that all people are socially equal

democracy

noun

de·moc·ra·cy | \ di-ˈmä-krə-sē

plural democracies

Legal Definition of democracy

1a : government by the people especially : rule of the majority

b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

2 : a political unit that has a democratic government

Other Words from democracy

democratic \ ˌde-mə-ˈkra-tik

\ adjective

democratically adverb