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Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people.

One who is an adherent or advocate of democracy, or government by the people. Whatever they call him, what care I, Aristocrat, democrat, autocrat. Tennyson.

Pertaining to democracy; favoring democracy, or constructed upon the principle of government by the people.

The principles or spirit of a democracy. [R.]

Democracy. [Obs.] Milton.

ble to, supreme authority, or one who wields it; royal; sovereign; supreme. "The imperial democracy of Athens." Mitford. Who, as Ulysses says, opinion crowns With an imperial voice. Shak. To tame the proud, the fetter'd slave to free, These are imperial arts, and worthy thee. Dryden. He sounds his imperial clarion alon…

y of the people, and is exercised by representatives elected by them; a commonwealth. Cf. Democracy, 2.

stituting such a civil body; also, the state of being so governed; democratic government; democracy. It is to self-government, the great principle of popular representation and administration, -- the system that lets in all to participate in the councels that are to assign the good or evil to all, -- that we may owe wh…

tendency of the present socialism is more and more to ally itself with the most advanced democracy. Encyc. Brit. We certainly want a true history of socialism, meaning by that a history of every systematic attempt to provide a new social existence for the mass of the workers. F. Harrison.