/di mok"reuh see/ , n. , pl. democracies .
1. 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. a state having such a form of government: The United States and Canada are democracies.
3. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.
4. political or social equality; democratic spirit.
5. the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power.
[ 1525-35; démocratie democratia demokratía popular government, equiv. to demo- DEMO- + -kratia -CRACY ]