Democratic describes a system where people have a say in the decisions that affect them, usually through voting. In a democratic country, citizens elect their leaders and representatives rather than having rulers imposed on them by force or inheritance. The United States, for example, is a democratic republic where people vote for presidents, senators, and other officials.

In a democracy, leaders govern with the consent of the people they lead, not through absolute authority.

You'll also hear democratic used more loosely to describe any situation where everyone gets input. A teacher might run her classroom in a democratic way by letting students vote on which book to read next, or a family might make democratic decisions about vacation plans by giving everyone a voice. When a club operates democratically, members vote on important matters rather than having one person decide everything.

The opposite of democratic is authoritarian, where one person or small group holds all the power and makes decisions without input from others. Democratic systems trust that when people participate in decisions, better outcomes can emerge than when power concentrates in too few hands.