Webster's English Dictionary

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democracy

de.moc.ra.cy \di-'ma:k-r*-se-\ n [MF democratie, fr. LL democratia, fr. Gk 
   de-mokratia, fr.] de-mos + -kratia -cracy 1a: government by the people; esp 
   : rule of the majority  1b: a government in which the supreme power is 
   vested in the people and exe rcised by them directly or indirectly through 
   a system of representation usu. involving periodically held free elections 
   2: a political unit that has a democratic government  cap  3: the 
   principles and policies of the Democratic party in the U.S.  4: the common 
   people esp. when constituting the source of political authori ty 5: the 
   absence of hereditary or arbitrary class distinctions or privileges