Meaning & use
theocracy
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A form of government in which priests or other religious leaders hold power and apply religious law.
Grammar: Countable for a particular state (a theocracy) and uncountable for the system in general.
Patterns
- a theocracy under someone
- rule by theocracy
Tibet was once ruled as a theocracy led by the Dalai Lama.
In a theocracy, religious law often becomes state law.
Critics warned that the new constitution could turn the country into a theocracy.
nouncountable
A country or community governed in this way.
Grammar: Countable: several theocracies.
Patterns
- an Islamic theocracy
The country was described as a theocracy by foreign observers.
Few modern states are true theocracies.
Historians compare ancient theocracies with modern ones.
Word forms
| plural | theocracies |
|---|
Common combinations
- ruled as a theocracy
- The territory was ruled as a theocracy for centuries.
- Islamic theocracy
- Iran is often called an Islamic theocracy.
- medieval theocracy
- A medieval theocracy governed the region.
- establish a theocracy
- The group hoped to establish a theocracy.
- become a theocracy
- Critics feared the country would become a theocracy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- clerical rule
- Clerical rule is a plainer phrase that stresses priests in power rather than religious law.
- ecclesiocracy
- Ecclesiocracy is a rare word for rule by a church, narrower and more formal than theocracy.
- hierocracy
- Hierocracy is a rare, specialist word for rule by priests.
Opposites
Word family
- theocratic adjective
- relating to rule by religious leaders
- theocrat noun
- a ruler or supporter of religious rule
- theology noun
- the study of religion and God
- democracy noun
- government by the people
- theocratically adverb
- in a manner ruled by religious law
Commonly confused: theocracy or theology? theocracy or democracy?
theocracy vs theology
Theology is the study of religious belief, while theocracy is a system of government.
theocracy vs democracy
Democracy is rule by the people through voting, whereas theocracy is rule by religious leaders.
Practice
In a theocracy, who holds the final political authority?
Choose one answer.
A theocracy is government by religious leaders applying religious law. Elected judges, business owners, and the army describe other systems.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “theocracy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.