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.
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
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