undemocratic
|un-de-mo-crat-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌʌndɪməˈkrætɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌʌndeməˈkrætɪk/
not in line with democracy
Etymology
'undemocratic' originates from English, specifically the negative prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') combined with the adjective 'democratic', where 'democratic' ultimately comes from Greek 'demokratia' (from 'demos' meaning 'people' and 'kratos' meaning 'power' or 'rule').
'demokratia' (Greek) passed into Latin and Old French as 'democratie' and then into Middle English as 'democracy'; the adjective 'democratic' developed from that root in modern English, and 'undemocratic' was formed by prefixing English 'un-' to 'democratic'.
Initially, the Greek root 'demokratia' meant 'rule of the people'; over time 'democratic' came to mean 'related to or supporting democracy', and 'undemocratic' correspondingly evolved to mean 'not conforming to democratic principles' or 'opposed to democratic practice'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not in accordance with democratic principles; lacking fairness, openness, or equal participation — i.e., opposed to or not supporting democracy.
The committee's closed decision-making process was widely criticized as undemocratic.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/24 08:38