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demokratisch
democratic
Based on the principles of democracy, in which power comes from the people and decisions are made by majority vote.
example
Deutschland ist ein demokratischer Rechtsstaat.
Germany is a democratic constitutional state.
demokratisch
democratic
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The adjective 'demokratisch' (democratic) is derived directly from the noun 'die Demokratie' (democracy). The ending '-isch' is a typical way to form adjectives from nouns.
EXAMPLE
Die Demokratie ist eine wichtige Säule unserer Gesellschaft.
Democracy is an important pillar of our society.
Adverbial use
'Demokratisch' (democratic/democratically) can also be used as an adverb to describe how an action is carried out. In this case, the adjective is not declined.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben demokratisch darüber abgestimmt, wohin wir in den Urlaub fahren.
We voted democratically on where we should go on vacation.
Typical collocations
In a political context, 'demokratisch' (democratic) is often combined with certain nouns. Common combinations are: 'eine demokratische Wahl' (a democratic election), 'ein demokratischer Staat' (a democratic state), or 'demokratische Grundwerte' (democratic fundamental values).
EXAMPLE
Alle Bürger hoffen auf freie und demokratische Wahlen.
All citizens hope for free and democratic elections.
Context clue
You can recognize this more colloquial meaning from the fact that it is about behavior in small groups, for example in the family, among friends, or in a team.
EXAMPLE
Die Lehrerin ließ die Schüler ganz demokratisch über das nächste Projektthema entscheiden.
The teacher let the students decide on the next project topic completely democratically.
Compare with
demokratisch vs parlamentarisch
parliamentary
'demokratisch' and 'parlamentarisch' both often appear in political texts, but they do not mean the same thing. 'demokratisch' describes a principle: people are allowed to participate in decision-making, have equal rights, and decisions are made by election or majority. 'parlamentarisch' describes the connection to parliament, meaning elected representatives, debates, laws, and official procedures there. The words can be confused because many democracies have a parliament. But something can be parlamentarisch because it happens in parliament, and demokratisch because it respects participation and democratic rules.
demokratisch
Im Verein entscheiden wir demokratisch über das neue Projekt.
In the club, we decide democratically on the new project.
parlamentarisch
Die parlamentarische Debatte über das Gesetz dauerte bis spät am Abend.
The parliamentary debate on the law lasted until late in the evening.
In real life
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