theocracy
- noun
- /θiˈɑkrəsi/
- The establishment of a theocracy had a profound effect on the legal, social, and economic status of the non-Muslims.
- theocracy in Iran
- support for the theocracy
- establish a theocracy
These people want autocracy, theocracy, a fascist government.
- These people want autocracy, theocracy, a fascist government.
- Speaking out against Islamic theocracy while you live in the Middle East?
- You know, the the Greek city states were not theocracies.
- We have the rise, essentially, of a theocracy, right?
- But you know what, What do you think is going to happen next in terms of, you know, the theocracies in the Middle East?
- And when I want to talk about Cyborg theocracy, I mean, how do I, how do I put this?
Examples
-
The government is a theocracy, with a dictator who has allegiance to the oligarchy and priests.
Academic text (1990) -
Iran is commonly cited as a modern example of a theocracy, where clerics govern in the name of Islam.
-
But in most of the world, the separation between theocracy and politics that we have experienced is not present.
-
Iran was not always a theocracy, and might not remain so in the future.
Blog text (3) -
Still, the presence of theocracy in the world today raises theoretical and practical problems.
Academic text (2000) -
I know religious folks who would impose a Christian theocracy upon America in a heartbeat.
Blog text (6) -
We tend to think of Iran as a theocracy that's ruled by one person.
-
The Mormons intended to create a theocracy in the Midwest.
Fiction book (1992) -
In this piece, the author provides a philosophical framework for the toleration of theocracies by liberal states.
Academic text (2007) -
The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran replaced a pro-Western monarchy friendly to Israel with a militant Shiite theocracy.
Academic text (2012)
Synonyms
A country run by religious leaders where laws come from a religion
A government run by religious leaders like priests
A system where church leaders control the government
Antonyms
How Theocratic
Surface Forms
Morphology
theocracy = theo + cracy
The meaning is fairly compositional from 'theo' and '-cracy', but the term is specialized and built from classical combining forms rather than everyday English words.
Etymology
Theocracy comes from Greek parts theo- meaning 'god' and -cracy meaning 'rule', the same -cracy you see in democracy. So a theocracy is a government 'ruled' in the name of a god, which is why religious leaders often hold political power.