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HISTORY

The Claim

The English word "democracy" comes from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (rule).

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

The claim matches standard dictionary and academic etymologies. “Democracy” is traced to Greek dēmos (“people”) plus the kratos/-kratia element meaning “rule” or “power.” The fuller linguistic path runs through Greek dēmokratia and into English via Latin and French, but that does not materially alter the claim’s accuracy.

Caveats

  • The more exact Greek formation is dēmokratia, so “kratos” is a simplified shorthand for the second element.
  • The word entered English through Latin and French before reaching modern English; the claim states the ultimate roots, not the immediate borrowing path.
  • Some low-quality sources in the evidence pool repeat the same point, but the conclusion is supported by high-authority dictionaries and academic references.

The Receipts

  1. democracy, n. meanings, etymology and more

    Oxford English Dictionary

  2. Democracy (Ancient Greece)

    National Geographic Education

  3. democracy noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes

    Oxford Learner's Dictionaries

  4. DEMOCRACY Definition & Meaning

    Merriam-Webster

  5. What the ancient Greeks can teach us about democracy

    Stanford News

  6. The Origins of Democracy: From Ancient Greece to Modern Times

    Political Science Institute

  7. The ancient Greeks invented democracy – and warned us how it could go horribly wrong

    The Conversation

  8. A Model with Application to Ancient Greece

    JSTOR

  9. Root of the Week: Demos

    RootWords.io

  10. Democracy | The Oxford Handbook of Political Philosophy

    Oxford University Press / The Oxford Handbook of Political Philosophy

+ 13 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

DemocracyDemosGreek LanguageKratos

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