democracy
noun
de·moc·ra·cy
di-ˈmä-krə-sē 
plural democracies
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
G. K. Chesterton
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
CISA.govcalled 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
James Madisoncalled also direct democracy, pure democracy
2
: a country, state, etc. whose form of government is democracy : a political unit that has a democratic government
Western democracies
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
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
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
Garrison Keillor4
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
Abraham Lincoln
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.
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
Matthew Zweig, a sanctions expert at the lobbying arm of the think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, pointed to another question related to Captagon that may have also ultimately contributed to Assad's downfall.
—Desiree Adib, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
The State Department said Monday that South Korean democracy had demonstrated resilience during the past few days of turmoil.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024
And what our nation has tried to stand for—freedom and democracy, a haven for immigrants, a bulwark against fascism—will soon fundamentally change.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Philly, the cradle of democracy, shares cultural and political identities with both regions.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for democracy 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Desiree Adib, ABC News, 12 Dec. 2024
The State Department said Monday that South Korean democracy had demonstrated resilience during the past few days of turmoil.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024
And what our nation has tried to stand for—freedom and democracy, a haven for immigrants, a bulwark against fascism—will soon fundamentally change.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Philly, the cradle of democracy, shares cultural and political identities with both regions.
—Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for democracy
Dictionary Entries Near democracy
Cite this Entry
“Democracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
democracy
noun
de·moc·ra·cy
di-ˈmäk-rə-sē
plural democracies
1
a
: government by the people
especially
: rule of the majority
b
: government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation
2
: a political unit (as a nation) that has a democratic government
3
: belief in or practice of the idea that all people are socially equal
Etymology
from early French democratie "democracy," from Latin democratia (same meaning), from Greek demokratia "democracy," from dēmos "people, the masses" and -kratia "rule, government," from kratos "strength, power, authority" — related to epidemic
Legal Definition
democracy
noun
de·moc·ra·cy
di-ˈmä-krə-sē
plural democracies
1
a
: 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
democratically
adverb
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