Header image of wall of bricks Open menu Close menu

-cracy

Also ‑crat, ‑cratic, and ‑cratical.

Government, rule, or influence.

Greek ‑kratia, power or rule.

Many terms in ‑cracy have been coined, though only a small number are at all well known; most can mean either a system of influence or rule or a society so ruled, as with democracy, rule through elected representatives; a few can also refer to the rulers as a group, as with aristocracy (Greek aristos, best), rule by members of the highest social class.

The form is active, used to create words for influential groups with characteristics in common: punditocracy, media commentators; adhocracy, a loose group of influential advisers; meritocracy, government or the holding of power by people selected on the basis of their educational ability.

All can have associated adjectives in ‑cratic (bureaucratic, meritocratic), and nouns in ‑crat for a member of the relevant class or group (aristocrat, autocrat). A few can also have adjectives in ‑cratical (aristocratical, democratical), but these are much rarer than the corresponding forms in ‑cratic.

See also ‑archy and ‑cy.

Examples of words in -cracy

aristocracy

rule by the highest social class

Greek aristos, best

autocracy

rule by one person with absolute power

Greek autos, self

bureaucracy

government in which officials take most of the decisions

French bureau, office

democracy

rule by all citizens

Greek dēmos, the people

gerontocracy

rule by old people

Greek gerōn, old man

mediocracy

rule by mediocre people or a system in which mediocrity is rewarded

Latin mediocris, middling

meritocracy

rule by those selected on the basis of ability

English merit

mobocracy

rule by the mob

English mob

plutocracy

rule by the rich

Greek ploutos, wealth

technocracy

control of society by technical experts

English technology

teledemocracy

democracy mediated or operated by telecommunications or television

Greek tēle‑, far off.

thalassocracy

rule over the seas

Greek thal, sea

theocracy

rule by priests

Greek theos, God

Copyright © Michael Quinion 2008–. All rights reserved. Your comments are very welcome.