Meaning & use
democratic reforms
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Meanings
nounplural
Changes made to a country's laws or institutions so that people have more say in choosing their leaders.
Grammar: A plural noun phrase; use a plural verb: the reforms have begun. For one change, say 'a democratic reform'.
Patterns
- introduce democratic reforms
- carry out democratic reforms
- democratic reforms in a country
- a package of democratic reforms
The new government promised democratic reforms, including free local elections.
Pressure from protesters led to a series of democratic reforms.
Without democratic reforms, many voters felt their votes would not matter.
nounplural
Specific improvements that make an organization or system more open, fair, and answerable to its members.
Grammar: Often used for groups and institutions, not only whole countries.
Patterns
- democratic reforms within an organization
- call for democratic reforms
- push through democratic reforms
Members demanded democratic reforms within the union.
The party agreed to democratic reforms in how it chooses its leader.
She wrote a report on democratic reforms inside large charities.
Common combinations
- sweeping democratic reforms
- The president announced sweeping democratic reforms after months of unrest.
- a wave of democratic reforms
- A wave of democratic reforms swept across the region in the 1990s.
- push for democratic reforms
- Students continued to push for democratic reforms.
- implement democratic reforms
- It took years to implement the democratic reforms that had been promised.
- political and democratic reforms
- The talks covered both economic and democratic reforms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- liberalization
- Refers mainly to loosening controls; it does not necessarily mean giving people more voting power.
- political reform
- Broader: it can include any political change, not only ones that increase public participation.
Word family
- democracy noun
- A system in which people elect their government.
- democrat noun
- A person who supports democracy.
- democratically adverb
- In a way that follows the principle of majority rule.
- democratize verb
- To make a country or organization more democratic.
Commonly confused: democratic reforms or Democratic Party?
democratic reforms vs Democratic Party
In the US, 'Democratic' with a capital D refers to a political party, not to democracy in general.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Democratic reforms' means changes that give people more political power, such as free elections. Banning parties does the opposite, and options 3 and 4 break the grammar of the plural phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “democratic reforms”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.