Etymologically
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démocratie

Etymology and origin of the French word démocratie

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1370, Oresme
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (δῆμος)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /de.mɔ.kʁa.si/[1]

Forms

démocratie f (plural démocraties)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek δημοκρατία (dēmokratía, “rule of the people”),[2][3][4][5] through the Latin translations of Aristotle (Late Latin dēmocratia).[3][4] The Greek word is formed from δῆμος (dêmos, “district; people”) and κρατέω (kratéō, “to rule”) (see -cratie).[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Oresme, in the glossary of his translation of Aristotle's Ethics (1370), defines democratie as espece de policie en laquele la multitude des populaires a domination.[2][7]

Semantic evolution

For centuries the word named the government of the ancient Greek cities.[3][8] Under the Revolution (1791) it was applied to contemporary politics in opposition to aristocratie, a sense dominant since the early 19th century, Barnave (1791–1793) also used it for “the people” as a class.[3][8][9] By metonymy a démocratie is a state with this system (la France est une démocratie, Littré).[3][7]

The 20th century multiplied qualified forms: démocratie directe, parlementaire, libérale, and démocratie populaire for the Communist regimes, démocratie chrétienne appears in a translation of an encyclical of Leo XIII (1901).[3][2] Démocrate, formed in 1550, spread under the Revolution, and démocratique goes back to Oresme.[3][4]

Timeline

  • 1370 – Democratie and democratique in Oresme.[2][4]
  • 1550 – Démocrate.[3]
  • 1568 – Démocratiser.[3]
  • 1791 – Applied to modern politics.[3]
  • 1797 – Démocratisation.[3]
  • 1901 – Démocratie chrétienne.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. Democracy, government by the people: démocratie directe, démocratie représentative.[10][2]
  2. A democratic state: les démocraties occidentales, démocratie populaire.[6][10]
  3. Democratic principles applied to an organisation: la démocratie syndicale.[6]
  4. A political movement: la démocratie chrétienne.[6][3]

Word family

  • démocrate
  • démocratique
  • démocratiser
  • démocratisation
  • aristocratie
  • démagogie
  • Ancient Greek δημοκρατία (dēmokratía)

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 3, 37b
  6. ^ a b c d Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  10. ^ a b Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
Cite this entry

“Démocratie.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/d%C3%A9mocratie. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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