aristodemocracy
|a-ris-to-de-moc-ra-cy|
🇺🇸
/ˌærɪstəˈdɛməkrəsi/
🇬🇧
/ˌærɪstəˈdɛm.ə.krəsi/
hybrid rule: aristocracy + democracy
Etymology
'aristodemocracy' originates from a Modern English coinage, specifically combining the Greek prefix 'aristo-' and the Greek word 'demokratia', where 'aristo-' meant 'best' and 'demokratia' meant 'rule of the people'.
'aristodemocracy' was formed in Modern English by blending Greek-derived elements rather than evolving through Old or Middle English forms; it is a 19th–20th century scholarly/technical formation derived from classical roots.
The formation originally signified the literal combining of 'rule by the best' and 'rule by the people'; over time it has been used descriptively to label systems or proposals that mix elite governance with democratic legitimation, retaining that blended sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a political system or theory that blends elements of aristocracy and democracy — i.e., governance by a leading or merit-based elite who are selected, constrained, or legitimized through democratic institutions or procedures.
Some 19th- and 20th-century commentators described certain constitutions as tending toward an aristodemocracy, where elite leadership operated within broadly democratic frameworks.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/14 20:49