democratic

adjective

dem·​o·​crat·​ic ˌde-mə-ˈkra-tik 

1

Democratic : of, relating to, or constituting one of the two major political parties in the U.S. that is usually associated with government regulation of business, finance, and industry, with federally funded education and social services, with separation of church and state, with support for abortion rights, affirmative action, gun control, and policies and laws that protect and support the rights of workers and minorities, and with internationalism and multilateralism in foreign policy

a Democratic governor/senator

Democratic voters

Democratic leadership

members of the Democratic Party

see also Democratic-Republican

2

a

: based on a form of government in which the people choose leaders by voting : of, relating to, or favoring democracy (see democracy sense 1)

democratic elections

a democratic government

… in spite of her American birth and breeding, she possessed that reverence for titles which haunts the best of us—that unacknowledged loyalty to the early faith in kings which set the most democratic nation under the sun in ferment at the coming of a royal yellow-haired laddie, some years ago …

—Louisa May Alcott

b

: relating to the idea that all people should be treated equally

The true public library, in the sense that we use the term today, came into existence as a response to the needs of an evolving democratic society.

—Fred Lerner

His attitude was simply the flower of his general good-nature, and a part of his instinctive and genuinely democratic assumption of every one's right to lead an easy life.

—Henry James

especially : organized or operated so that all people involved have power, influence, etc.

Local AFT [=American Federation of Teachers] 2026 is conducting open bargaining. All sessions are open for workers to walk in and are to be transparent, which helps understanding, is more democratic, and shows power—there is power in numbers.

—Jayson Massey

3

: relating, appealing, or available to the broad masses of the people : designed for or liked by most people

the benefits of a democratic education

New word contests appeal to a wide swath of the population because neology is a democratic art. Oil painting and sculpting, for example, are arts that require years of study and practice, but coining new words requires nothing but a willing mind and "ordinary linguistic competence."

—Paul McFedries

democratically

ˌde-mə-ˈkra-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

a democratically elected leader

Synonyms

• popular
• republican
• self-governing
• self-ruling

Examples of democratic in a Sentence

Democratic elections were held there today for the first time.

the country's new democratic constitution

Debates are an important part of the democratic process.

The Democratic candidate for governor won the debate.

Most of these policies appeal to Democratic voters.

an interview with a leader of the Democratic Party

The organization works to promote democratic reforms around the world.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Rio Grande Valley in the southernmost tip of Texas was a consistent Democratic stronghold. —Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 2 Dec. 2024

Her long record as a foreign policy dissident under both Democratic and Republican presidents will give Senate hawks plenty to scrutinize — and, perhaps, to excoriate. —Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024

Kennedy, who ran for the Democratic nomination then as an independent candidate before dropping out and endorsing Trump, espouses debunked views on public health—including skepticism about the efficacy of childhood vaccines and the Covid-19 vaccine. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

This couldn’t be further from the truth—especially the part about Trump’s corruption and self-dealing being no different from the norm—but Biden is doing the work of people who want to wreck the best aspects of America’s democratic ethos. —Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French democratique, borrowed from Medieval Latin dēmocraticus, borrowed from Greek dēmokratikós, from dēmokratía democracy + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing democratic

• democratic centralism
• democratic socialism

Kids Definition

democratic

adjective

dem·​o·​crat·​ic ˌdem-ə-ˈkrat-ik 

1

: of, relating to, or favoring political, social, or economic democracy

2

capitalized : of or relating to a major U.S. political party associated with policies of helping the common people and encouraging cooperation between nations

3

: of, relating to, or appealing to the common people

democratic art

4

: favoring social equality : not snobbish

democratically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb