democratic centralism

noun

A set of principles of internal organization, mainly associated with Leninism, in which political decisions reached by voting are binding upon all members of the party.

Opposite
bureaucratic centralism
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Meanings

noundemocratic centralism (uncountable)

alternative democratic centralization · alternative democratic centralisation

  1. uncountableA set of principles of internal organization, mainly associated with Leninism, in which political decisions reached by voting are binding upon all members of the party.

    只有民主集中制的政府，才能充分地发挥一切革命人民的意志，也才能最有力量地去反对革命的敌人。

    Foreign Languages Press

    1967 [1940 January], 毛泽东 [Mao Zedong], “新民主主义论”, in 毛泽东选集, volume 第二卷, 人民出版社 [People's Publishing House], page 354; English translation from “On New Democracy”, in Selected Works of Mao Tse-Tung, volume II, 外文出版社 [Foreign Languages Press], translation of original in Chinese, 1965, page 352
    1 more example

    При́нцип демократи́ческого централи́зма и автоно́мии ме́стных учрежде́ний означа́ет и́менно свобо́ду кри́тики, по́лную и повсю́ду, раз не наруша́ется э́тим еди́нство определённого де́йствия, — и недопусти́мость никако́й кри́тики, подрыва́ющей и́ли затрудня́ющей еди́нство решённого па́ртией де́йствия.

    Vladimir Lenin

    1972 [1906 May 20], Владимир Ленин [Vladimir Lenin], “Свобода критики и единство действий”, in В. И. Ленин – Полное собрание сочинений, volume 13, page 129; English translation from “Freedom to Criticise and Unity of Action”, in V. I. Lenin – Collected Works, volume 10, translation of original in Russian, 1978, page 443

    Antonyms: bureaucratic centralism

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA set of principles of internal organization, mainly associated with Leninism, in which political decisions reached by voting are binding upon all members of the party.

Opposite
bureaucratic centralism

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 民主集中制
  • 民主集中制 (mínzhǔ jízhōngzhì)principles
French centralisme démocratique
  • centralisme démocratiqueprinciples
German demokratischer Zentralismus
  • demokratischer Zentralismusprinciples
Greek δημοκρατικός συγκεντρωτισμός
  • δημοκρατικός συγκεντρωτισμός (dimokratikós sygkentrotismós)principles
Hungarian demokratikus centralizmus
  • demokratikus centralizmusprinciples
Italian centralismo democratico
  • centralismo democraticoprinciples
Japanese 民主集中制
  • 民主集中制 (minshu shūchūsei)principles
Korean 민주집중제
  • 민주집중제 (minjujipjungje)principles
Lithuanian demokratinis centralizmas
  • demokratinis centralizmasprinciples
Polish centralizm demokratyczny
  • centralizm demokratycznyprinciples
Portuguese centralismo democrático
  • centralismo democráticoprinciples
Romanian centralism democratic
  • centralism democraticprinciples
Russian демократи́ческий централи́зм
  • демократи́ческий централи́зм (demokratíčeskij centralízm)principles
Spanish centralismo democrático
  • centralismo democráticoprinciples
Ukrainian демократи́чний централі́зм
  • демократи́чний централі́зм (demokratýčnyj centralízm)principles
Vietnamese tập trung dân chủ, dân chủ tập trung
  • tập trung dân chủprinciples
  • dân chủ tập trungprinciples
Cite this entry
APA

democratic centralism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/democratic%20centralism

MLA

“democratic centralism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/democratic%20centralism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “democratic centralism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/democratic%20centralism.

Source: democratic centralism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.