Word
democratic
Phoneticsdemo·crat·ic
US/ˌdɛməˈkɹætɪk/
UK/dˌɛməkɹˈætɪk/
Definitions
01government by the people
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law
adj. relating to a system of government where citizens vote to choose their leaders.
adj. pertaining to or based on the principles of democracy, specifically a system of government by the whole population through elected representatives.
“The country held its first democratic elections after many years of military rule.”
“The transition to a fully democratic system required significant constitutional reforms to ensure that every citizen's vote carried equal weight.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02social equality
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. treating everyone as equal and giving everyone the same rights.
adj. characterised by or favouring social equality and egalitarianism within a group or organisation.
“The manager has a very democratic style and listens to everyone's ideas.”
“The club maintains a democratic structure where even the newest members have a voice in deciding the annual budget.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03US political party
B2 · Upper Intermediate Politics American English
adj. relating to the Democratic Party in the United States.
adj. pertaining to or supporting the Democratic Party, one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States.
“She has been a supporter of Democratic candidates since she was a student.”
“The senator outlined the Democratic platform on healthcare during the televised debate last night.”
Usage
Often capitalised as 'Democratic' when referring specifically to the American political party.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “democratic” in context.
Adjective
01. democratic procedure
“The committee followed a strict democratic procedure to ensure every member's vote was counted.”
adj + noun
02. democratic process
03. democratic socialist
Real-World Examples
“Most journalists we spoke to thought it was essential work to fulfill the democratic promise to serve and inform the public.” “We take the safety and security of our elected officials extremely seriously and, equally, we take our policing responsibilities around the democratic process seriously too.” 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/democratic