liberal-democratic
Meaning
combining the principles of personal freedom and social equality with those of representative government and majority rule.
Structure
Usage
the country is often described as a liberal-democratic state.
the party's platform is firmly rooted in liberal-democratic values.
they advocate for a liberal-democratic approach to governance.
Etymology
the compound adjective 'liberal-democratic' is a modern political construct, fusing two distinct historical lineages. 'liberal' derives from the latin 'liber', meaning 'free', evolving through 'liberalis' to signify qualities befitting a free citizen, emphasizing individual rights and liberties. 'democratic' originates from ancient greek 'dēmokratia', a compound of 'dēmos' (the common people) and 'kratos' (strength, power), literally meaning 'rule by the people'. the hyphenated term emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries to describe political systems and ideologies that synthetically combine the classical liberal focus on individual freedom with the democratic principle of popular sovereignty and political equality.
Analysis
liberal: from latin 'liberalis' (pertaining to a free person), origin: latin, functional role: adjective base denoting freedom. democratic: from greek 'dēmokratikos', from 'dēmos' (people) + 'kratos' (power, rule), origin: greek via french and latin, functional role: adjective base denoting rule by the people.