democracy

democracy — noun

1. a system of running a country in which ordinary people choose their leaders by v

1.nounB2
Definition

a system of running a country in which ordinary people choose their leaders by voting, and all citizens have equal rights and basic freedoms — for example, the right to speak freely and to gather in groups.

Example

Brian believes that a healthy democracy depends on citizens who vote and stay informed.

democracy + depends on + [condition for success]

The country has slowly built a working democracy after decades of military rule.

build + a working democracy

Common collocations
  • build democracy
  • restore democracy
  • protect democracy
  • strengthen democracy
  • transition to democracy
  • democracy activist
  • democracy movement
  • threat to democracy
  • spread of democracy
Synonyms
  • representative government

    more specific — refers only to systems where people elect representatives, excludes direct democracy

  • self-government

    broader and more philosophical; can refer to any group managing its own affairs

  • republic

    a form of democracy without a monarch; not all republics are full democracies

Antonyms
  • dictatorship

    a system where one person rules with total power, and citizens cannot vote or speak freely

  • autocracy

    a system where unlimited power rests with a single ruler

Grammar Patterns

democracy + verb

in a democracy

democracy + of + noun

Usage Note

Frequently used as an uncountable noun when referring to the concept in general, but countable when referring to a specific form of this system (e.g., 'a healthy democracy', 'many democracies around the world').

Common Mistakes

In democracy, everyone can do what they want.
In a democracy, people have rights that are protected by law.
democracy does not mean unlimited personal freedom; it means a system with both rights and responsibilities.

2. a country whose government is based on the principle that the people elect their

2.nounB2
Definition

a country whose government is based on the principle that the people elect their leaders and take part in important decisions — for example, a nation where citizens vote in regular elections and their votes truly affect how the country is run.

Example

India has remained a stable democracy for more than seventy years.

remain + a + adj + democracy

After the civil war, the nation rebuilt itself as a young democracy with free elections.

young democracy

Common collocations
  • young democracy
  • stable democracy
  • emerging democracy
  • established democracy
  • western democracy
  • liberal democracy
  • parliamentary democracy
  • flourishing democracy
Synonyms
  • democratic state

    more formal, used in legal and political documents

  • free nation

    less precise, focuses on the idea of liberty rather than the electoral system

Antonyms
  • dictatorship

    a country ruled by a single person or small group with no free elections

Grammar Patterns

a + adj + democracy

democracy + verb

Usage Note

Typically modified by adjectives describing the age, stability, or quality of the democratic system (e.g., 'young democracy', 'stable democracy', 'flourishing democracy'). Often used in the plural form 'democracies' when discussing multiple countries.

Common Mistakes

America is a democratic country because it is a republic.
America is both a republic and a democracy.
republic and democracy are related but not interchangeable; a republic is a specific form of democracy that has a constitution and no monarch.

3. a way of running a group, organization, or institution so that every member has

3.nounB2
Definition

a way of running a group, organization, or institution so that every member has an equal right to express opinions and help shape what gets decided — for example, a club where each member's vote on new rules carries the same weight.

Example

The workers voted to turn their co-op into a democracy with one vote per person.

turn + [organization] + into a democracy

Talia praised the school's democracy, where students and teachers decide on rules together.

Common collocations
  • internal democracy
  • workplace democracy
  • industrial democracy
  • party democracy
  • union democracy
  • democracy within an organization
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • top-down management

    where decisions are made by leaders and passed down without input from members

  • autocratic rule

    where a single person or small group controls all decisions

Grammar Patterns

democracy + within + noun

internal democracy

workplace democracy

Usage Note

Often paired with modifiers like 'internal', 'workplace', 'industrial', or 'party' to specify which organization is being described. The noun can be countable ('a democracy') when referring to a specific system within one organization.

Common Mistakes

The club has democracy because anyone can join.
The club has democracy because every member has an equal vote on decisions.
democracy is about decision-making power, not just open membership.

Word family

  • democratic
    adjectiveB2
  • democratically
    adverbB2
  • democrat
    nounC1
  • democratise
    verbC1
  • democratisation
    nounC1
  • pro-democracy
    adjectiveC1
  • undemocratic
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four terms all relate to systems where people have a say in how they are ruled, but they differ in scope and emphasis. 'Representative government' is the most precise — it describes any system in which citizens elect officials to make decisions on their behalf, which is the most common form of modern democracy. 'Self-government' is broader and more philosophical: it can refer to a nation's independence from outside rule, or to any group managing its own affairs. 'Republic' is a legal and historical term for a state without a monarch, typically governed by elected representatives and a constitution; many republics are democracies, but not all — some restrict voting rights to a small group. 'Constitutional government' emphasises that the rulers' powers are limited by a written or unwritten constitution. In everyday use, 'democracy' focuses on the people's power to choose and replace leaders, while the other terms highlight different features like representation, independence, or legal limits on authority.

representative governmentself-governmentrepublic ↗constitutional government

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • transition to democracy
  • restoration of democracy
  • threat to democracy
  • spread of democracy
  • defender of democracy

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'democracy' comes from ancient Greek, where 'dēmos' meant 'the people' and 'kratos' meant 'power' or 'rule'. So democracy quite literally means 'rule by the people'. The Greek city-state of Athens developed the first known democracy around the 5th century BCE. The word passed into Latin as 'democratia', then into French as 'démocratie', before entering English in the 1500s. Originally used to describe the Athenian system, it later broadened to cover any government based on popular consent and, more recently, to describe equal participation in any organization.