Word: democratic Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *déh₂mos Proto-Hellenic *dā́mos Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos) Ancient Greek δημο- (dēmo-) Proto-Indo-European *kret- Ancient Greek κρᾰ́τος (krắtos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -κρᾰτῐ́ᾱ (-krătĭ́ā) Ancient Greek δημοκρᾰτῐ́ᾱ (dēmokrătĭ́ā) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) Ancient Greek δημοκρᾰτῐκός (dēmokrătĭkós)bor. Late Latin democraticuslbor. Middle French democratiquebor. ▲ Late Latin democraticusbor. English democratic 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. Pronunciation: /ˌdɛməˈkɹætɪk/, /ˌdɛməˈkɹatɪk/, [ˌdɛməˈkɹæɾɪk], /ˌdɪməˈkɹætɪk/, [ˌdɪməˈkɹæɾɪk] 1. Pertaining to democracy; constructed upon or in line with the principle of government chosen by the people. Example: The United States is a democratic country, as the citizens are allowed to choose leaders to represent their interests. Example: [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. 2. Exhibiting social equality; egalitarian. Example: "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; […] Example: 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. 3. Alternative letter-case form of Democratic (“of, pertaining to, or supporting the Democratic Party”). Labels: US, alt-of Example: Mount Vernon is run by a strong democratic party organization.