de ‧ moc ‧ ra ‧ cy W2 /dɪˈmɒkrəsi $ dɪˈmɑː-/ BrE AmE noun ( plural democracies )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ democracy , ↑ democrat , ↑ democratization ; verb : democratatize; adverb : ↑ democratically ≠ UNDEMOCRATICALLY ; adjective : ↑ democratic ≠ UNDEMOCRATIC ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: democratie , from Greek demokratia , from demos 'people' + -kratia 'rule' ]
1 . [uncountable] a system of government in which every citizen in the country can vote to elect its government officials:
a return to democracy after 16 years of military rule
2 . [countable] a country that has a government which has been elected by the people of the country:
a parliamentary democracy
Western democracies
3 . [uncountable] a situation or system in which everyone is equal and has the right to vote, make decisions etc ⇨ democratic :
democracy within the trade unions
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ a parliamentary democracy (=one with an elected parliament)
Britain is a parliamentary democracy.
▪ a multiparty democracy (=with a number of political parties)
It is one of the few countries in the area that is a true multiparty democracy.
▪ a Western democracy
The sanctions are supported by all the major Western democracies.
▪ a new democracy
They are facing many of the same problems that all new democracies experience.
▪ an emerging/fledgling democracy (=new)
the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe
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THESAURUS
▪ government [uncountable and countable] the group of people who govern a country or the system they use to govern it:
The French government did not sign the agreement.
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a democratic system of government
▪ administration [countable] the government of a country, especially one such as the US, which is led by a president:
the Kennedy administration
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the problems left by the previous adminstration
▪ regime [countable] a government, especially one that was not elected fairly or that you disapprove of:
Most people opposed the apartheid regime.
▪ the executive [singular] the part of the government that makes sure that laws and decisions work well:
the separation of powers between the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary
▪ democracy [uncountable and countable] a political system in which everyone can vote to choose the government, or a country that has this system:
The transition to democracy has not been easy.
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In a democracy, people have freedom of speech.
▪ republic [countable] a country that has an elected government, and is led by a president, not a king or queen:
Mauritius became a republic in 1992.
▪ monarchy [uncountable and countable] /ˈmɒnəki $ ˈmɑːnərki/ the system of having a king or queen as the head of state, or a country that has this system:
Some monarchies have elected governments.
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controversy about the institution of monarchy