democracy

noun

di-ˈmä-krə-sē How to pronounce democracy (audio)
Definition of democracynext
as in republic
government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation under our democracy the people have some control over their lives by being able to select their own political leaders

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of democracy Other democracies already rely more heavily on a mix of commercial and public media. — Seth Ashley, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 Literacy will not invariably preserve sanity and democracy in the face of a climate disaster or a devastating economic crisis. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 The island democracy’s legislature later amended its laws to increase penalties for intentional damage to undersea cables or pipelines and allow for up to seven years in prison. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026 After the fall of the Soviet Union, the West, for a time, became more capacious, linked to principles of liberal democracy that could take root anywhere. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for democracy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for democracy
republic
Noun
  • But Marxists who dreamed of a workers’ republic could not compete with the reformers in Congress who enacted such measures as a progressive income tax, antitrust legislation, and a ban on child labor.
    — Michael Kazin, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The bet is that people who see the working version of a republic, a free press, and a scientific community will want to build one at home.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of republic

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demobs
democracy
democrat
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Cite this Entry

“Democracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/democracy. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on democracy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about democracy

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