the·oc·ra·cy noun h?-?ä-kr?-s?
: a form of government in which a country is ruled by religious leaders
: a country that is ruled by religious leaders
plural the·oc·ra·cies
Full Definition of THEOCRACY
1
: government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided
2
: a state governed by a theocracy
See theocracy defined for English-language learners »
See theocracy defined for kids »
Origin of THEOCRACY
Greek theokratia, from the- + -kratia -cracy
First Known Use: 1622
Other Government and Politics Terms
agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism
Rhymes with THEOCRACY
autocracy, bureaucracy, democracy, Eurocracy, kleptocracy, mobocracy, plantocracy, plutocracy, slavocracy, technocracy
theocracy noun (Concise Encyclopedia)
Government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. In many theocracies, government leaders are members of the clergy, and the state's legal system is based on religious law. Theocratic rule was typical of early civilizations. The Enlightenment marked the end of theocracy in most Western countries. Contemporary examples of theocracies include Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Vatican. See also church and state; divine kingship.