Philosophy & ThoughtGreek → English
Democracy
/dɪˈmɒkrəsi/
A system of government in which power rests with the citizens.
The Greek roots
δῆμος
dêmos
the people
κράτος
krátos
power, rule
Literally: “rule by the people”
The story of the word
Coined in ancient Athens for a radical idea: that power (krátos) should belong to the people (dêmos) rather than to a single ruler.
The same roots elsewhere
Other languages reached for exactly the same Greek pieces.
In a sentence
The founders looked to Athens when they imagined democracy.