The type of government in which citizens have a say in what happens is known as

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

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

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

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web The transformation of Africa will be driven by Africans, especially younger generations, those who see freedom of speech and free and fair elections as the key pillars of democracy. —Jeffrey Smith, Time, 13 Dec. 2022 Checks and balances are at the cornerstone of democracy, and that oversight protects fairer voting maps and voter rights. —Chicago Tribune, 13 Dec. 2022 Its mess was the mess of a certain kind of democracy. —Elizabeth Spiers, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2022 The Supreme Court’s argument Wednesday in Moore v. Harper is being called a case that will determine the fate of democracy. —The Editorial Board, WSJ, 6 Dec. 2022 To hear some tell it, a Supreme Court case set for argument on Dec. 7 could spell the end of democracy in the United States. —Ian Macdougall, ProPublica, 30 Nov. 2022 Churchill was thrown into a cauldron of global warfare, also battling Imperial Japan in Asia, and thrived under the pressure of statesmanship in the defense of democracy. —Kerry J. Byrne, Fox News, 30 Nov. 2022 The Kansas State Capitol is the state’s greatest architectural treasure, a towering temple of democracy. —Eric Lipton, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2022 Democrats and Republicans may continue to disagree on political and social issues but not on the core principles of democracy that have always made America great. —Rabbi Marvin Hier, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Nov. 2022 See More

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.

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

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of democracy was in 1539

Dictionary Entries Near democracy

Cite this Entry

“Democracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy. Accessed 20 Dec. 2022.

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Last Updated: 19 Dec 2022 - Updated example sentences

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