What does democratically mean?
"Democratically" is an adverb describing action taken in accordance with the principles of democracy — that is, through processes in which people participate freely and equally, typically by voting. It most commonly appears in phrases like "democratically elected government," where it signals legitimacy derived from the will of the electorate rather than from force, inheritance, or appointment. Beyond politics, it applies to any organization or group: a committee may democratically choose its officers, or a co-operative may democratically decide how to allocate funds. The word carries strongly positive connotations of fairness, transparency, and collective consent, and it is often used contrastively — "the board acted democratically rather than unilaterally." Its register is neutral to formal, making it a staple of news reporting, constitutional documents, and academic writing about governance. Derived ultimately from the Greek roots demos (people) and kratos (power), it encapsulates the idea that authority rightly flows from those it governs.
adverbIn accordance with the principles of democracy, especially through free and equal participation by the people. By means of a democratic process, such as voting.
- In accordance with the principles of democracy or majority rule.
- By means of a democratic procedure such as voting.
"The committee democratically elected a new chairperson by secret ballot."
"The members democratically voted to amend the club's constitution."
"A democratically chosen panel of jurors heard the case."
Every 'democratically elected' leader owes their title to a word built from Greek roots meaning simply 'rule by the people' — demos and kratos.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of democratically
Democratically derives from the adjective "democratic," which entered English in the early 17th century via French démocratique, ultimately from Greek dēmokratikos, from dēmokratia — a compound of dēmos ("people") and kratos ("power" or "rule"). The adverb was formed with the standard English suffix -ly. It shares its Greek ancestry with words such as "democracy," "democrat," and "demography," all rooted in dēmos.
Related word forms
How democratically is actually used
Formal to neutral register; most frequent in political journalism and institutional writing. Often appears in the fixed phrase 'democratically elected', especially when distinguishing legitimate governments from unelected regimes.
Easily confused with democratically
Bureaucratically means in the manner of an administrative system with fixed rules and procedures, whereas democratically means according to democratic principles of popular participation.