démocratique

Démocratique is the French adjective meaning relating to democracy or characterized by government by the people. It derives from Latin democratica, via Greek dēmokratía, built from demos (people) and kratos (power). The noun form is démocratie, and a person who supports it or belongs to a political movement is un démocrate.

In political usage, démoratique describes systems, processes, or institutions grounded in popular sovereignty, including free and fair elections, political pluralism, the rule of law, civil liberties, and accountability. It is used in phrases such as élections démocratiques, régime démocratique, and pays démocratique. The term also appears in proper names and descriptions, for example Républiqu e démocratique du Congo. The concept encompasses various models—démocratie représentative, démocratie directe, démocratie participative, démocratie sociale—and contexts where the emphasis is on participation, inclusivity, or liberal protections.

Démocratiser (to democratize) and démocratisation (the process of becoming democratic) refer to the transition toward democratic governance, broadening political rights, or expanding citizen participation. The adjective remains invariable in gender and number (démocratique, démocratiques, démocratique), while the related nouns and adjectives adapt to syntax.

In contemporary discourse, démoratique is widely employed in political rhetoric to articulate ideals of governance, though its exact meaning can vary with tradition, philosophy, and national or regional constitutional frameworks. The term is closely related to global concepts of democracy and is frequently analyzed in comparative politics, legal theory, and media coverage.