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DictionaryRoot: dēmos
Greek

dēmos

people or a district

Forms

  • dēmos
  • dem- — Used before some endings.
  • demo- — Used when joining to another element.

Origin

An old Greek word whose deeper formation is debated.

Note

A local district and its inhabitants could be understood through the same word.

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noun

Democrat

A member or supporter of the Democratic Party.

My neighbor is a Democrat who volunteers in local elections.

Etymology
demoGreekpeople or a district
+cratGreekstrength, power, or rule

Greek dēmos and kratos combine people with rule. Democrat uses that political vocabulary as a party identification, naming a member or supporter of the Democratic Party.

More examples

  • Two Democrats serve on the town council.
  • She registers as a Democrat before the primary election.
  • The bill has support from both Democrats and Republicans.

Forms

Democrat · Democrats

Democratic adjective — Relating to the United States Democratic Party.