Definition of "democracy" []

• Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives. (noun)
• A political or social unit that has such a government. (noun)
• The common people, considered as the primary source of political power. (noun)
• Majority rule. (noun)
• The principles of social equality and respect for the individual within a community. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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