How to say "democracy" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 民主みんしゅnounIt conveys popular sovereignty — the people as masters of politics — and can stand for democracy, but alone it is seldom the word you want; it works mainly inside longer terms like 民主主義.
- nounThe loanword for 'democracy'. It covers the same political system and ideal as 民主主義, so the difference between them is word type rather than meaning; use it when you want the borrowed term itself.
- 民主主義みんしゅしゅぎno-adjectiveThe kanji term for democracy as a political system: government in which power rests with the people. This is the word you want when discussing democracy as a form of government or an ideal.
For democracy as a political system or ideal, 民主主義 is the default choice, 「デモクラシー」 is the loanword equivalent, and 民主 chiefly names popular sovereignty, working mostly as a building block inside longer words.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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