-cracy
From Free net encyclopedia
The English suffix -cracy means a form of government or a state having such government. It is derived from the ancient Greek kratein, meaning "to rule". Typically, the suffix is encountered in distinguishing between the following different forms of government:
- acracy - literally "the negation of rule"
- autocracy - (ultimate, despotic) rule by a single individual - literally "self-rule", "rule by oneself". The distinction between a monarchy and an autocracy is that the latter is one in which power overshadows bloodline or a divine right to rule. Note: Many dictatorships are autocracies, but it is not true to say that a dictatorship is automatically an autocracy.
- democracy - literally "rule by the people"; usually "rule by elected/nominated representatives of the people".
- meritocracy - "rule upon the basis of ability (merit).
- benocracy - literally "rule by the good".
- aristocracy - literally "rule by the best"; in modern usage, rule by the upper class/by those with a birth-right to rule.
- plutocracy - rule by the affluent class.
- theocracy - "rule by God".
- ecclesiocracy - "rule in the name of God".
- hierocracy - rule by priests or religious ministers.
- krytocracy - rule by the judiciary.
- adhocracy - decentralized rule
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Jocular backformation
- hippocracy - rule by horses. Apparently found in internet discussions, likely as an ironic or accidental mis-spelling of hypocrisy: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially: the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion. From Gr. hypokrisis act of playing a part on the stage, hypocrisy, from hypokrinesthai to answer, act on the stage, from hypo- + krinein to decide.
Examples of hippocracy: Houyhnhnm-Land, the reign of Incitatus (attempted hippocracy)
Other words with this suffix include:
- adhocracy
- aristocracy
- autocracy
- bureaucracy
- corporatocracy
- democracy
- ecclesiocracy
- gerontocracy
- hierocracy
- kakistocracy
- kleptocracy
- krytocracy (compare with kritarchy)
- meritocracy
- mobocracy
- ochlocracy
- oligocracy
- plutocracy
- pornocracy
- stratocracy
- technocracy
- thalassocracy
- theocracy
- timocracy
- xerocracy
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