民主(みんしゅ)

みんしゅ
noun, prefix
democracy; democratic
1. democracy; democratic
A system of government by the people, or principles based on equal rights and freedom. Often used as a prefix meaning 'democratic.'
民主主義(みんしゅしゅぎ)の国(くに)に住(す)んでいる。
I live in a democratic country.
民主的(みんしゅてき)な方法(ほうほう)で決(き)める。
Decide in a democratic way.
民主化(みんしゅか)運動(うんどう)が広(ひろ)がった。
The democratization movement spread.

民主(みんしゅ) combines 民(みん) (people) and 主(しゅ) (master/lord), literally "the people as master." Rarely used alone — it primarily appears as a prefix in compound words.

COMMON COMPOUNDS:

  • 民主主義(みんしゅしゅぎ): democracy (as an ideology)
  • 民主的(みんしゅてき)(な): democratic (na-adjective)
  • 民主化(みんしゅか): democratization
  • 民主党(みんしゅとう): Democratic Party
  • 民主{国家(こっか)}: democratic nation

CONTRAST:

  • 独裁(どくさい): dictatorship
  • 専制(せんせい): autocracy, despotism
  • 権威(けんい)主義(しゅぎ): authoritarianism

REGISTER:
Formal. Appears frequently in news, politics, and academic contexts. The adjectival form 民主的(みんしゅてき)(な) is the most common way to say "democratic" in everyday use.

Related Words

Related: 民主主義(みんしゅしゅぎ) (democracy (full form))
general
Added 2026.1.17 6:25 · Revised 2026.4.17 23:07
06000/06028_minshu