In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
DEMOCRACY
democracy
(noun) the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives
democracy, republic, commonwealth
(noun) a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
democracy (countable and uncountable, plural democracies)
(uncountable) Rule by the people, especially as a form of government; either directly or through elected representatives (representative democracy).
(countable, government) A government under the direct or representative rule of the people of its jurisdiction.
(uncountable) Belief in political freedom and equality; the "spirit of democracy".
Synonyms
• democratism (the principles or spirit of a democracy)
Coordinate terms
• (a form of government): monarchy, aristocracy, dictatorship
Proper noun
Democracy
(obsolete, US) Democratic Party
Source: Wiktionary
De*moc"ra*cy, n.; pl. Democracies. Etym: [F. démocratie, fr. Gr. dhmokrati`a; dh^mos the people + kratei^n to be strong, to rule, kra`tos strength.]
1. Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people.
2. Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic.
3. Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government. Milton.
4. The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called. [U.S.]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
1 February 2025
GRIP
(noun) an intellectual hold or understanding; “a good grip on French history”; “they kept a firm grip on the two top priorities”; “he was in the grip of a powerful emotion”; “a terrible power had her in its grasp”
Coffee Trivia
