n.; pl. Aristocracies [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; best + &unr_; to be strong, to rule, &unr_; strength; &unr_; is perh. from the same root as E. arm, and orig. meant fitting: cf. F. aristocratie. See Arm, and Create, which is related to Gr. &unr_;. ] 1. Government by the best citizens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A ruling body composed of the best citizens. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In the Senate
Right not our quest in this, I will protest them
To all the world, no aristocracy. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A form a government, in which the supreme power is vested in the principal persons of a state, or in a privileged order; an oligarchy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The aristocracy of Venice hath admitted so many abuses, trough the degeneracy of the nobles, that the period of its duration seems approach. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The nobles or chief persons in a state; a privileged class or patrician order; (in a popular use) those who are regarded as superior to the rest of the community, as in rank, fortune, or intellect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Autocracies. [ Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. autocratie. See Autocrat. ] 1. Independent or self-derived power; absolute or controlling authority; supremacy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The divine will moves, not by the external impulse or inclination of objects, but determines itself by an absolute autocracy. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Supreme, uncontrolled, unlimited authority, or right of governing in a single person, as of an autocrat. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Political independence or absolute sovereignty (of a state); autonomy. Barlow. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Med.) The action of the vital principle, or of the instinctive powers, toward the preservation of the individual; also, the vital principle. [ In this sense, written also autocrasy. ] Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Bureau + Gr. &unr_; to be strong, to govern, &unr_; strength: cf. F. bureaucratie. ] 1. A system of carrying on the business of government by means of departments or bureaus, each under the control of a chief, in contradiction to a system in which the officers of government have an associated authority and responsibility; also, government conducted on this system. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Government officials, collectively; -- used especially of nonelected government officials. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n.; pl. Democracies [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. dai`mwn demon + kra`tos strength: cf. F. démonocratie. ] The power or government of demons. [ 1913 Webster ]

A demonocracy of unclean spirits. H. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. doy^los slave + kratei^n to rule. ] A government by slaves. [ Written also dulocracy. ] Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Doulocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, an old man + &unr_; to rule. ] Government by old men. [ R. ] Gladstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Gyneocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. gynaikokrati`a; gynh`, gynaiko`s, a woman + kratei^n to rule: cf. F. gynécocratie. Cf. Gynocracy. ] Government by a woman, female power; gyneocracy. Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Gynecocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Gynecocracy. ] Female government; gynecocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The aforesaid state has repeatedly changed from absolute despotism to republicanism, not forgetting the intermediate stages of oligarchy, limited monarchy, and even gynocracy; for I myself remember Alsatia governed for nearly nine months by an old fishwoman. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "a`gios holy, and kratei^n to govern.] Government by a priesthood; hierarchy. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Gr. "iero`s sacred + &unr_; to be strong, rule.] Government by ecclesiastics; a hierarchy. Jefferson.

n. [ Jesuit + -cracy, as in aristocracy. ] Government by Jesuits; also, the whole body of Jesuits in a country. [ R. ] C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. ka`kistos worst + kratei^n to rule. ] Government by the worst men. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A form of social system in which power goes to those with superior intellects. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. The belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth or birth. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Mob rabble + -cracy, as in democracy. ] A condition in which the lower classes of a nation control public affairs without respect to law, precedents, or vested rights. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is good name that Dr. Stevens has given to our present situation (for one can not call it a government), a mobocracy. Walpole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Mono- + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government by a single person; undivided rule. Sydney Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Neo-+ -cracy, as in aristocracy. ] Government by new or inexperienced hands; upstart rule; raw or untried officials. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. no`mos law + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government in accordance with a system of law. Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'o`chlos the populace, multitude + kratei^n to be strong, to rule, kra`tos strength: cf. F. ochlocratie. ] A form of government by the multitude; a mobocracy; mob rule. Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Panto- + Gr. &unr_; equal + &unr_; to rule. ] A Utopian community, in which all should rule equally, such as was devised by Coleridge, Lovell, and Southey, in their younger days. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pedant + democracy. ] The sway of pedants. [ R. ] J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Planter + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government by planters; planters, collectively. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. ploutokrati`a; plou^tos wealth + kratei^n to be strong, to rule, fr. krato`s strength: cf. F. plutocratie. ] A form of government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of the wealthy classes; government by the rich; also, a controlling or influential class of rich men. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Poly- + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government by many rulers; polyarchy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Slavocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Slave + -cracy, as in democracy. ] The persons or interest formerly representing slavery politically, or wielding political power for the preservation or advancement of slavery. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Snob + -cracy, as in aristocracy, mobocracy. ] Snobs, collectively. [ Hybrid & Recent ] C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ State + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government by the state, or by political power, in distinction from government by ecclesiastical power. [ R. ] O. A. Brownson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; an army + -cracy, as in democracy: cf. F. stratocratie. ] A military government; government by military chiefs and an army. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. government by technical specialists. [ PJC ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; God + &unr_; to be strong, to rule, fr. &unr_; strength: cf. F. théocratie. See Theism, and cf. Democracy. ] 1. Government of a state by the immediate direction or administration of God; hence, the exercise of political authority by priests as representing the Deity. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state thus governed, as the Hebrew commonwealth before it became a kingdom. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; honor, worth (fr. &unr_; to honor) + &unr_; to govern: cf. F. timocratie. ] (Gr. Antiq.) (a) A state in which the love of honor is the ruling motive. (b) A state in which honors are distributed according to a rating of property. [ 1913 Webster ]