Meanings
plural ochlocracies
- countableuncountableMob rule; government by the masses; mobocracy.First known use 1475–1485.
This constitutes a grave threat to the American Republic and degrades it into an Ochlocracy, or government by mob rule.
2021, Ronald T. Libby, American Ochlocracy: Black Lives Matter & Mob Rule, independently published →ISBN, back of the book1 more example
Referendums are snapshots of sentiment at a given point in time. Government by referendum is government by crowd acclamation: not democracy, but ochlocracy. That is exactly why we have representative democracy. If referendums would be a poor way to decide on health and safety, air traffic control, or education, they are an exceedingly poor way to decide a matter as momentous as membership of the EU. This is and should be a matter for Parliament, taking all factors into account.
2016 July 1, A[nthony] C[lifford] Grayling, “Professor A C Grayling’s letter to all 650 MPs urging Parliament not to support a motion to trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty”, in New College of the Humanities, archived from the original on 02 Jul 2016
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna political system in which a mob is the source of control; government by the masses
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekὀχλοκρατία
- Middle Frenchochlocratie
- Englishochlocracy
From Middle French ochlocratie, from Ancient Greek ὀχλοκρατία (okhlokratía), from ὄχλος (ókhlos, “multitude, crowd”) + κράτος (krátos, “power”). Equivalent to ochlo- + -cracy.
More words from Middle French, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan oclocràcia
- oclocràciagovernment by the masses
Chinese Mandarin 眾愚政治 /众愚政治, 暴民政治
- 眾愚政治 /众愚政治 (zhòngyúzhèngzhì)government by the masses
- 暴民政治 (bàomínzhèngzhì)government by the masses
Czech ochlokracie, lůzovláda
- ochlokraciegovernment by the masses
- lůzovládagovernment by the masses
Dutch ochlocratie
- ochlocratiegovernment by the masses
Esperanto oĥlokratio, amasrego
- oĥlokratiogovernment by the masses
- amasregogovernment by the masses
- tumultregogovernment by the masses
Finnish alhaisovalta
- alhaisovaltagovernment by the masses
French ochlocratie
- ochlocratiegovernment by the masses
German Ochlokratie, Pöbelherrschaft
- Ochlokratiegovernment by the masses
- Pöbelherrschaftgovernment by the masses
Greek οχλοκρατία
- οχλοκρατία (ochlokratía)government by the masses
Icelandic skrílræði
- skrílræðigovernment by the masses
Indonesian oklokrasi
- oklokrasigovernment by the masses
Italian oclocrazia
- oclocraziagovernment by the masses
Japanese 衆愚政治, 暴民政治
- 衆愚政治 (shūguseiji)government by the masses
- 暴民政治government by the masses
Korean 중우정치
- 중우정치 (jung'ujeongchi)government by the masses
Polish ochlokracja
- ochlokracjagovernment by the masses
Portuguese oclocracia
- oclocraciagovernment by the masses
Romanian oclocrație
- oclocrațiegovernment by the masses
Russian охлокра́тия
- охлокра́тия (oxlokrátija)government by the masses
Spanish oclocracia
- oclocraciagovernment by the masses
Swedish oklokrati
- oklokratigovernment by the masses
Thai กฎหมู่
- กฎหมู่government by the masses
Ukrainian охлокра́тія
- охлокра́тія (oxlokrátija)government by the masses
Welsh torflywodraeth
- torflywodraethgovernment by the masses
Cite this entry
ochlocracy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ochlocracy
“ochlocracy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ochlocracy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ochlocracy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ochlocracy.
Source: ochlocracy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.