democracy

UK: /dɪˈmɒkrəsi/ US: /dɪˈmɑkrəsi/ ,(di mok′rə sē)

Inflections of 'democracy' (n): npl: democracies

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

de•moc•ra•cy /dɪˈmɑkrəsi/   n., pl. -cies. 

1. Government [uncountable] government by the people;
   a form of government in which the supreme power rests with the people and is used directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
2. Government [countable] a state, country, or nation having such a form of government.
3. Government a state or condition of society in which there is formal equality of rights and privileges:
   [uncountable] democracy in the workplace.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

de•moc•ra•cy  (di mok′rə sē), n., pl. -cies. 

1. Government government by the people;
   a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
2. Government a state having such a form of government:
   The United States and Canada are democracies.
3. Government a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.
4. Government political or social equality;
   democratic spirit.
5. Government the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class;
   the common people with respect to their political power.

• Greek dēmokratía popular government, equivalent. to dēmo- demo- + -kratia -cracy
• Late Latin dēmocratia
• Middle French démocratie
• 1525–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

democracy / dɪˈmɒkrəsɪ/ noun ( -cies)

1. government by the people or their elected representatives
2. a political or social unit governed ultimately by all its members
3. the practice or spirit of social equality
4. a social condition of classlessness and equality

Etymology: 16th Century: from French démocratie, from Late Latin dēmocratia, from Greek dēmokratia government by the people; see demo-, -cracy