democratically

de·mo·crat·ic·al·ly
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UK/ˌdɛməˈkɹætɪkli/Canada, US/ˌdɛməˈkɹætəkli/Canada, US/ˌdɛməˈkɹætəkəli/Canada, US[-ɾə-]

adverb

In a democratic way; according to the principles of democracy.

“a democratically elected leader”

Less commonScrabble 24

Meanings

adverbdemocratically (comparative more democratically, superlative most democratically)

comparative more democratically · superlative most democratically

  1. In a democratic way; according to the principles of democracy.

    a democratically elected leader

    3 more examples

    [T]hey ſee that they vvere not ſummoned ariſtocratically to a ſenate houſe of lords and great States, but invited democratically and after a popular manner to ſupper, vvhere the pooreſt may take his place vvith the richeſt, like as in the ſtate of a citie and common-vvealth, called Democratie.

    1603, Plutarch, “[The Symposiaques or Table-questions.] The Second Question. Whether the Master of the Feast ought Himselfe to Assigne unto Every Guest His Place, or Suffer Them to Sit as They will Themselves?”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC, page 647

    Nor are thoſe Provinces vvhich are in ſubjection to a Democracie, or Ariſtocracie of another Common-vvealth, Democratically, or Ariſtocratically governed, but Monarchically.

    1651, Thomas Hobbes, “Of the Severall Kinds of Common-wealth by Institution, and of Succession to the Soveraigne Power”, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLC, 2nd part (Of Common-wealth), page 98

    He was not happy in the social changes of thirty years. Three decades ago, Dr. Westlake, Julius Flickerbaugh the lawyer, Merriman Peedy the Congregational pastor and himself had been the arbiters. That was as it should be; the fine arts—medicine, law, religion, and finance—recognized as aristocratic: four Yankees democratically chatting with but ruling the Ohioans and Illini and Swedes and Germans who had ventured to follow them.

    1920, Sinclair Lewis, chapter IV, in Main Street: The Story of Carol Kennicott, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, →OCLC, section IV, page 48

    Antonyms: nondemocratically, undemocratically

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn a democratic way; according to the principles of democracy.

More synonyms by meaning

adverbin a democratic manner; based on democratic principles

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Partly from democratical + -ly (suffix forming adverbs), and from democratic + -ally (variant of -ly), modelled after Middle French democratiquement (modern French démocratiquement).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian демократи́чески, демократично
  • демократи́чески (demokratíčeski)in a democratic way
  • демократично (demokratično)in a democratic way
Catalan democràticament
  • democràticamentin a democratic way
Finnish demokraattisesti, kansanvaltaisesti
  • demokraattisestiin a democratic way
  • kansanvaltaisestiin a democratic way
French démocratiquement
  • démocratiquementin a democratic way
German demokratisch
  • demokratischin a democratic way
Hungarian demokratikusan
  • demokratikusanin a democratic way
Icelandic lýðræðislega
  • lýðræðislegain a democratic way
Italian democraticamente
  • democraticamentein a democratic way
Japanese 民主的
  • 民主的 (minshuteki)in a democratic way
Latvian demokrātiski
  • demokrātiskiin a democratic way
Polish demokratycznie
  • demokratyczniein a democratic way
Portuguese democraticamente
  • democraticamentein a democratic way
Russian демократи́чески
  • демократи́чески (demokratíčeski)in a democratic way
Spanish democráticamente
  • democráticamentein a democratic way
Swedish demokratiskt
  • demokratisktin a democratic way
Ukrainian демократи́чно
  • демократи́чно (demokratýčno)in a democratic way
Cite this entry
APA

democratically. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/democratically

MLA

“democratically.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/democratically. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “democratically,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/democratically.

Source: democratically on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.