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demokratisch
democratic
Relates to democracy as a political system in which power comes from the people and basic rights are guaranteed.
example
Deutschland ist ein demokratischer Rechtsstaat.
Germany is a democratic constitutional state.
der Demokrat
democrat
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'demokratisch' (democratic) belongs to the word family of 'die Demokratie' (democracy). It describes qualities connected with this form of government or its principles, such as participation and equality.
EXAMPLE
In einem demokratischen System hat das Volk die Macht.
In a democratic system, the people have power.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If it is about politics and states, it refers to the political constitutional order. If it is about decisions in groups, at work, or in the family, it refers to the way something is done.
EXAMPLE
Die Verfassung garantiert die demokratische Grundordnung des Landes.
The constitution guarantees the country's democratic basic order.
Typical collocations
In a political context, 'demokratisch' (democratic) is often combined with nouns like 'Staat' (state), 'Wahl' (election), 'Partei' (party), or 'System' (system).
EXAMPLE
Alle vier Jahre finden in Deutschland demokratische Wahlen statt.
Democratic elections take place in Germany every four years.
Typical collocations
When it is about processes, 'demokratisch' (democratic) often appears with words like 'Entscheidung' (decision), 'Abstimmung' (vote), or verbs like 'entscheiden' (to decide) and 'abstimmen' (to vote).
EXAMPLE
Wir haben demokratisch darüber abgestimmt, wohin der Ausflug geht.
We voted democratically on where the trip would go.
Compare with
Demokrat vs liberal
liberal
'liberal' and 'demokratisch' both have to do with freedom and political life together. 'liberal' emphasizes the freedom of the individual, open opinions, and often also economic freedom. 'demokratisch' emphasizes that everyone can participate in decision-making and that power comes from the people. The words can be confused because modern democracies often also protect liberal rights. But not everything democratic is automatically liberal, and not every liberal idea directly describes a vote or participation in decision-making.
Demokrat
Der Demokrat setzt sich im Parlament für freie Wahlen und gleiche Rechte ein.
The democrat advocates free elections and equal rights in parliament.
liberal
In der Diskussion zeigt sie eine liberale Haltung gegenüber verschiedenen Lebensweisen.
In the discussion, she shows a liberal attitude toward different ways of life.
In real life
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