'Democracy' definitions:
Definition of 'democracy'
(from WordNet)
noun
The political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives
noun
A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them [syn: democracy, republic, commonwealth]
noun
The doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group [syn: majority rule, democracy]
Definition of 'Democracy'
From: GCIDE
- Democracy \De*moc"ra*cy\ (d[-e]*m[o^]k"r[.a]*s[y^]), n.; pl. Democracies (d[-e]*m[o^]k"r[.a]*s[i^]z). [F. d['e]mocratie, fr. Gr. dhmokrati`a; dh^mos the people + kratei^n to be strong, to rule, kra`tos strength.]
- 1. Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 4. The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called. [U.S.] [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'democracy'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- absolute monarchy,
- aristocracy,
- autarchy,
- autocracy,
- autonomy,
- coalition government,
- collective farm,
- collectivism,
- collectivity,
- collegiality,
- colonialism,
- common ownership,
- commonwealth,
- communal effort,
- communion,
- communism,
- community,
- constitutional government,
- constitutional monarchy,
- cooperation,
- cooperative society,
- dictatorship,
- dominion rule,
- duarchy,
- duumvirate,
- dyarchy,
- federal government,
- federation,
- feudal system,
- garrison state,
- gerontocracy,
- heteronomy,
- hierarchy,
- hierocracy,
- home rule,
- kibbutz,
- kolkhoz,
- limited monarchy,
- martial law,
- meritocracy,
- militarism,
- military government,
- mob rule,
- mobocracy,
- monarchy,
- neocolonialism,
- ochlocracy,
- oligarchy,
- pantisocracy,
- patriarchate,
- patriarchy,
- police state,
- profit sharing,
- public ownership,
- pure democracy,
- regency,
- representative democracy,
- representative government,
- republic,
- self-determination,
- self-government,
- sharecropping,
- social democracy,
- socialism,
- state ownership,
- stratocracy,
- technocracy,
- thearchy,
- theocracy,
- totalitarian government,
- totalitarian regime,
- town meeting,
- triarchy,
- triumvirate,
- tyranny,
- welfare state