government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

a state having such a form of government

The United States and Canada are democracies.

a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.

political or social equality; democratic spirit.

the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with respect to their political power.

noun

commonwealth , egalitarianism , emancipation , equalitarianism , equality , freedom , justice , liberal government , representative government , republic , suffragenotes:a democracy is confined to a small spot while a republic is extended over a large region