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democracy

Syllabification: (de·moc·ra·cy)
Pronunciation: /diˈmäkrəsē/
Translate democracy | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of democracy

noun (plural democracies)

  • a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives:capitalism and democracy are ascendant in the third world
  • a state governed by a democracy:a multiparty democracy
  • control of an organization or group by the majority of its members:the intended extension of industrial democracy
  • the practice or principles of social equality:demands for greater democracy

Origin:

late 16th century: from French démocratie, via late Latin from Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos 'the people' + -kratia 'power, rule'

democracy in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of democracy in the British & World English dictionary