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democracy

democracy [ di mókrəssi ] (plural democracies)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. representation of people: the right to a form of government in which power is invested in the people as a whole, usually exercised on their behalf by elected representatives

2. democratic nation: a country with a democratically elected government

3. democratic system of government: a system of government based on the principle of majority decision-making

4. control of organization by members: the control of an organization by its members, who have a right to participate in decision-making processes

[Late 16th century. Directly or via French< medieval Latin democratia< Greek dēmokratia 'rule of the people' < dēmos 'people' + kratos 'rule']
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