Definition of DEMOCRACY (original) (raw)
1
: government by the people : rule of the majority
I … have always believed in democracy, in the elementary liberal doctrine of a self-governing humanity.—
G. K. Chesterton
: such as
a
: a form of government in which the people elect representatives to make decisions, policies, laws, etc. according to law
Free and fair elections are a hallmark of American democracy.—CISA.gov
called also representative democracy
b
: a form of government in which the people vote directly against or in favor of decisions, policies, laws, etc.
… in a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in person; in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents. A democracy, consequently, will be confined to a small spot. A republic may be extended over a large region.—James Madison
called also direct democracy, pure democracy
2
: a country, state, etc. whose form of government is democracy : a political unit that has a democratic government
a parliamentary democracy such as Canada or the United Kingdom
3
a
: an organization or situation in which everyone is treated equally and has the right to participate equally in management, decision-making, etc.
A large company is not a democracy. It needs a leader to make a decision.—George Jones
… there is no democracy within the organization. A small group of self-appointed men … controls the entire effort, including its theology, finances, and personnel.—John M. Swomley
b
: political, social, or economic equality : the absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges
I grew up in the pure democracy of a public grade school where everybody brought a valentine for everybody on Valentine's Day so we should feel equally loved …—Garrison Keillor
4
Democracy plural Democracies, dated : the Democratic Party of the U.S. or its principles or policies
… that wing of the Democracy headed by Senator Douglas …—Abraham Lincoln
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Synonyms
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 Stringham, a veteran and Naval Reserve attorney, is running as a defender of democracy. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 12 Sep. 2024 If so, the rest of the world should make use of the new discoveries that are occurring there in the fight against election disinformation. 2024 is a pivotal year for democracies around the globe with more than half the world’s population going to the polls. —Michael Vandergriff, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024 However, in a broader context, these findings epitomize the importance of metacognitive skills in a healthy democracy. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 More than anything, a patriot loves this ongoing experiment of representative democracy. —Melanie Laughman, The Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for democracy 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'democracy.' 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 democracie, democratie, borrowed from Late Latin dēmocratia, borrowed from Greek dēmokratía, from dēmo- demo- + -kratia -cracy
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of democracy was in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near democracy
Cite this Entry
“Democracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
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Last Updated: 23 Sep 2024 - Definition revised
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