democratic
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌdɛməˈkɹætɪk/
ipa: /ˌdɛməˈkɹætɪk/
ipa: [-ɾɪk]
rhymes: -ætɪk
Forms: form: more democratic
form: most democratic
form: Democratic
form: democratick
Etymology: From Middle French democratique (“pertaining to democracy, democratic”) (modern French démocratique), and its etymon Late Latin democraticus (“pertaining to democracy, democratic; democrat”), from Ancient Greek δημοκρᾰτῐκός (dēmokrătĭkós, “of or for democracy; favouring or suited for democracy”), from δημοκρᾰτῐ́ᾱ (dēmokrătĭ́ā, “democracy”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix with the sense ‘of or pertaining’ to forming adjectives). Δημοκρᾰτῐ́ᾱ (Dēmokrătĭ́ā) is derived from δῆμος (dêmos, “the common people; free citizens, sovereign people; popular assembly; popular government, democracy”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- (“to divide; to share”)) + -κρᾰτῐ́ᾱ (-krătĭ́ā, suffix meaning ‘government; rule’) (from κρᾰ́τος (krắtos, “might, strength; dominion, power”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kret- (“insight, intelligence; strength”)) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns)). By surface analysis, demo- + -cratic or democrat + -ic.
Senses: examples: text: The United States is a democratic country, as the citizens are allowed to choose leaders to represent their interests.
text: [S]ome firie ſpirited men in the Miniſterie, got ſuch a guiding of the people at that time of confuſion, as finding the guſte of gouernment ſweete, they begouth to fantaſie to themſelues, a Democratick forme of gouernment: […] and after vſurping the libertie of the time in my long minoritie, ſetled themſelues ſo faſt vpon that imagined Democracie, as they fed themſelues with the hope to become Trbuni plebis: and ſo in a populare gouernment by leading the people by the noſe, to beare the ſway of all the rule.
ref: 1599, [James IV of Scotland (later also James I of England)], “Of a Kings Dvtie in His Office. The Second Booke.”, in ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΟΝ ΔΩΡΟΝ [BASILIKON DŌRON]. Or His Maiesties Instrvctions to His Dearest Sonne, Henry the Prince, London: […] Felix Kyngston, for Iohn Norton, […], published 1603, →OCLC, pages 39–40:
text: [W]hich government in its due conſtitution no Chriſtian or reformed Church, (not wholly under a democratick or popular ſpirit) yea no one eminent reformed Divine but did highly approve and deſire the happineſs to enjoy, as hath been made evident by their writings.
ref: 1658, John Gauden, Funerals Made Cordials: In a Sermon Prepared and (in Part) Preached at the Solemn Interment of the Corps of the Right Honorable Robert Rich, Heire Apparent to the Earldom of Warwick. […], London: […] T. C. for Andrew Crook, […], →OCLC, page 82:
text: Others avouch plainly the Democratick Principles, That Government riſes from the People's Conſent, and is radically founded in them; […]
ref: 1668, Abraham Philotheus [pseudonym], Anarchie Reviving, or, The Good Old Cause on the Anvile. […], London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 2:
text: There, fann’d by me, lewd Faction’s quick’ning flame / Inſpires my duteous Children to defame / Thoſe Laws of Freedom which ſo long have ſtood, / Fix’d in the cement of Britannia’s blood. / There, my ſubverting Delegates diſplay / The madding pride of Democratic ſway.
ref: 1777 (erroneously indicated as 1677), [William Combe], “Additions to the Diaboliad, a Poem”, in The Diaboliad, a Poem Dedicated to the Worst Man in His Majesty’s Dominions, 2nd edition, London: […] G. Kearsly, […], →OCLC, page 13:
text: The other point of difference is, the greater number of citizens and extent of territory which may be brought within the compaſs of republican, than of democratic government; and it is this circumſtance principally which renders factious combinations leſs to be dreaded in the former, than in the latter.
ref: 1788, Publius [pseudonym; James Madison], “Number X. The Same Subject Continued [The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard against Domestic Faction and Insurrection].”, in The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, […] , volume I, New York, N.Y.: […] J. and A. M‘Lean, […], →OCLC, page 60:
text: The democratick commonwealth is the foodfull nurſe of ambition. […] Whenever, in ſtates which have had a democratick baſis, they have endeavoured to put reſtraints upon ambition, their methods were as violent, as in the end they were ineffectual; as violent indeed as any the moſt jealous deſpotiſm could invent.
ref: 1791 August 3, [Edmund Burke], An Appeal from the New to the Old Whigs, […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 120:
text: The division of the legislature into two branches and their diverse origin, the long duration of office in one branch, the distinct power of the executive, the independence and permanency of the judiciary are designed to balance and check the democratick tendencies of our polity.
ref: 1809, [John Thornton Kirkland], “Notices of the Life and Character of Fisher Ames”, in Fisher Ames, Works of Fisher Ames. […], Boston, Mass.: T. B. Wait & Co. […], →OCLC, page xxiv:
text: Q. Who liberated Athens from the power of Sparta? / A. Thrasy[b]ulus, having expelled the usurpers, established the democratic government, B.C. 401.
ref: 1817–1820, [William Pinnock], “Of Bœotia and Attica”, in A Catechism of Universal History, Containing a Summary Account of the Various States, &c. &c. which Have Existed from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time (Pinnock’s Catechism), 6th edition, London: […] [F]or Pinnock and Maunder, Mentorian Press, […]; by C. Green, […], →OCLC, page 44:
text: In the United States, the federal and democratick parties divided the country till the termination of the last war.
ref: 1835, Lyman Cobb, “Lesson CCXVIII. Political Definitions.”, in The North American Reader; […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, paragraph 10, page 473:
text: In the conception of the Clinton administration and pro-democracy advocates, democracy and human rights are inextricably linked and mutually reinforcing. Human rights, defined in terms of the individual's political rights and civil liberties, are key ingredients of democracy. Without these rights, the integrity of participation and competition—vital aspects of the democratic system—cannot be guaranteed. The protection of human rights "is the best safeguard against the abuse of national power," it is argued, and only democratic government can guarantee their protection.
ref: 1994 October, Muthiah Alagappa, “Summary”, in Anne Stewart, editor, Democratic Transition in Asia: The Role of the International Community (East–West Center Special Reports; no. 3), Honolulu, Hi.: East–West Center, →OCLC, page 5:
text: The tradition that public policy would be democratic in its formulation was carried into the new democracy when the ANC [African National Congress] came to power in 1994.
ref: 2001, Gregory Houston, Ian Liebenberg, “Introduction”, in Gregory Houston, editor, Public Participation in Democratic Governance in South Africa, Pretoria, Gauteng: Human Sciences Research Council, →ISBN, page 9:
text: Beyond and in dialogue with the political and the economic, this active engagement and creative expression of the people constitutes authentic democratic process.
ref: 2005, “Introduction”, in Antonio F. Perez, Sémou Pathé Gueye, Fenggang Yang, editors, Civil Society as Democratic Practice (Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series VII, Seminar, Culture and Values; 22), Washington, D.C.: Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, →ISBN, page 2:
text: Shepard: You have the right to your opinion, Mr. Saracino. But with all due respect, I disagree with it.
Charles Saracino: I understand. I'm glad you support the democratic process, at least.
ref: 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:
text: Both [Ze’ev] Jabotinsky and [David] Ben-Gurion also wrote songs of praise to the Ottoman Empire, its tolerance toward ethnic minorities in general—and to Jews in particular—as well as to the democratic changes it was undergoing.
ref: 2019 July 21, Meron Rapoport, “When Zionism Imagined Jewish Nationalism without Supremacy”, in +972 Magazine, Tel Aviv, Israel: 972 – Advancement of Citizen Journalism, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2021:
text: In recent weeks, Buffett had repeatedly expressed concerns over the future of Taiwan, the self-governed democratic island where TSMC is based.
ref: 2023 May 16, Michelle Toh, “Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway sells entire stake in TSMC”, in CNN Business:
synonyms: word: democratical
antonyms: nondemocratic
undemocratic
glosses: Pertaining to democracy; constructed upon or in line with the principle of government chosen by the people.
examples: text: "Oh, I hold with the framers of the Constitution, that all men are created free and equal; likewise, all boys and girls," said democratic Kitty; […]
ref: 1867 February, the author of “Watching and Waiting”, “Pauline”, in T[imothy] S[hay] Arthur, Virginia F[rancis] Townsend, editors, Arthur’s Home Magazine, volume XXIX, Philadelphia, Penn.: T. S. Arthur & Co., →OCLC, chapter III (Pauline’s First Experience in Boarding ’Round), page 109, column 1:
text: Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, […] Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, “The Gateway, and Some Who Passed”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 29:
antonyms: nondemocratic
undemocratic
coordinate_terms: demotic#Adjective
glosses: Exhibiting social equality; egalitarian.
examples: text: Mount Vernon is run by a strong democratic party organization.
topics: government
politics
glosses: Alternative letter-case form of Democratic (“of, pertaining to, or supporting the Democratic Party”).
Derived terms: word: antidemocratic
word: anti-democratic
word: aristodemocratic
word: counterdemocratic
word: cyberdemocratic
word: democratical
word: democratically
word: democratic backsliding
word: democratic centralisation
word: democratic centralism
word: democratic centralization
word: democratic deficit
word: democratic education
word: democraticity
word: democraticness
word: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
word: democratic revolution
word: democratic socialism
word: democratic socialist
word: democratist
word: democratistic
word: demsoc
word: e-democratic
word: German Democratic Republic
word: hyperdemocratic
word: Islamocratic
word: nondemocratic
word: overdemocratic
word: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
word: plutodemocratic
word: post-democratic
word: predemocratic
word: prodemocratic
word: pseudodemocratic
word: quasidemocratic
word: semidemocratic
word: social democratic
word: technodemocratic
word: theodemocratic
word: ultrademocratic
word: undemocratic
Related terms: word: democracy
word: democrat
word: democratisation
word: democratization
word: democratised
word: democratized
word: democratise
word: democratize
word: democratising
word: democratizing
word: democratism