democratic
adjectivenouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˌdɛməˈkɹætɪk//
- United Kingdom//ˌdɛməˈkɹatɪk//
- United States//ˌdɪməˈkɹætɪk//
- Canada//ˌdɛməˈkɹætɪk//
- Canada/[ˌdɛməˈkɹæɾɪk]/
Pertaining to democracy; constructed upon or in line with the principle of government chosen by the people.
adjective
- 1
Pertaining to democracy; constructed upon or in line with the principle of government chosen by the people.
The United States is a democratic country, as the citizens are allowed to choose leaders to represent their interests.
[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.
Others avouch plainly the Democratick Principles, That Government riſes from the People's Conſent, and is radically founded in them; […]
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.
- 2
Exhibiting social equality; egalitarian.
"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; […]
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.
Hunting in the year 1000 was still a democratic pastime. Every free-born Anglo-Saxon had the right to enter the forest and bring home game for the pot.
- 3
Variant of DemocraticAlternative letter-case form of Democratic (“of, pertaining to, or supporting the Democratic Party”).
Mount Vernon is run by a strong democratic party organization.
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-der. 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.
noun
- 1
datedSynonym of democrat (“a supporter of democracy; an advocate of democratic politics (originally (historical) as opposed to the aristocrats in Revolutionary France)”).
This kingly government (as some call it) is a thing that our democraticks cannot brook: we are an undone people if we do not down with that.
[…] [Thomas] Fairfax was made general of all the forces both in England and Ireland; and Rainsbrough [i.e., Thomas Rainsborough], a leveller, and a violent head of the democraticks, high-admiral.
For that equality among the multitude which democratics explore, is not only just among those of a similar rank but is advantageous.
He [Lysander] now destroyed the democratics and popular constitutions in all the Greek cities which had been subject to Athens, placing a Lacedæmonian in each as harmost or governor, with a council of ten archons under him, composed of men selected from the political clubs which he had established.
Forms
- plural
- democratics
- comparative
- more democratic
- superlative
- most democratic
democratic · Pertaining to democracy; constructed upon or in line with the principle of government chosen by the people.
Democratic · Of, pertaining to, or supporting the Democratic Party of the…Democrats · The Democratic Partydemolish · To destroy (buildings, etc.), especially in a planned or…