də̇ˈmäkrəsē, dēˈ-, -si noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek dēmokratia, from dēm- dem- + -kratia -cracy
1.
a. : government by the people : rule of the majority
b.
(1) : a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly (as in the ancient Greek city-states or the New England town meeting) — called also direct democracy
(2) : a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority in which the people choose their officials and representatives at periodically held free elections — called also representative democracy
2. : a community or state in which the government is controlled by the people ; specifically : a state in which the supreme power is held and exercised directly by the people rather than by their elected agents
in a democracy the people meet and exercise their government in person; in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents — James Madison
— compare republic
3. usually capitalized
a. : the principles and policies of the Democratic party in the United States
b. : the Democratic party or its members
4. : the common people especially when regarded as the source of government
5. : political, social, or economic equality : the absence or disavowal of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges
democracy stands at a midway point, with personal freedom limited only by another concept — that of equality — Louis Wasserman
6. : a state of society characterized by tolerance toward minorities, freedom of expression, and respect for the essential dignity and worth of the human individual with equal opportunity for each to develop freely to his fullest capacity in a cooperative community
7. : control through representation by the rank and file especially in industry — see industrial democracy