%racy%

n.; pl. Aristocracies [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; best + &unr_; to be strong, to rule, &unr_; strength; &unr_; is perh. from the same root as E. arm, and orig. meant fitting: cf. F. aristocratie. See Arm, and Create, which is related to Gr. &unr_;. ] 1. Government by the best citizens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A ruling body composed of the best citizens. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In the Senate
Right not our quest in this, I will protest them
To all the world, no aristocracy. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A form a government, in which the supreme power is vested in the principal persons of a state, or in a privileged order; an oligarchy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The aristocracy of Venice hath admitted so many abuses, trough the degeneracy of the nobles, that the period of its duration seems approach. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The nobles or chief persons in a state; a privileged class or patrician order; (in a popular use) those who are regarded as superior to the rest of the community, as in rank, fortune, or intellect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Autocracies. [ Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. autocratie. See Autocrat. ] 1. Independent or self-derived power; absolute or controlling authority; supremacy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The divine will moves, not by the external impulse or inclination of objects, but determines itself by an absolute autocracy. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Supreme, uncontrolled, unlimited authority, or right of governing in a single person, as of an autocrat. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Political independence or absolute sovereignty (of a state); autonomy. Barlow. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Med.) The action of the vital principle, or of the instinctive powers, toward the preservation of the individual; also, the vital principle. [ In this sense, written also autocrasy. ] Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Bureau + Gr. &unr_; to be strong, to govern, &unr_; strength: cf. F. bureaucratie. ] 1. A system of carrying on the business of government by means of departments or bureaus, each under the control of a chief, in contradiction to a system in which the officers of government have an associated authority and responsibility; also, government conducted on this system. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Government officials, collectively; -- used especially of nonelected government officials. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. a yellow crystalline antibacterial antibiotic used to treat certain bacterial and rickettsial diseases. Aureomycin is one common trademark for chlortetracycline.
Syn. -- Aureomycin. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n.; pl. Confederacies [ From Confederate, a. ] 1. A league or compact between two or more persons, bodies of men, or states, for mutual support or common action; alliance. [ 1913 Webster ]

The friendships of the world are oft
Confederacies in vice or leagues of pleasure. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

He hath heard of our confederacy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Virginia promoted a confederacy. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The persons, bodies, states, or nations united by a league; a confederation. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Grecian common wealth, . . . the most heroic confederacy that ever existed. Harris. [ 1913 Webster ]

Virgil has a whole confederacy against him. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) A combination of two or more persons to commit an unlawful act, or to do a lawful act by unlawful means. See Conspiracy.

Syn. -- League; compact; alliance; association; union; combination; confederation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Amer. Hist.) With the, the Confederate States of America. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. Similarity of origin; affinity. [ Obs. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Conspiracies [ See Conspiration. ] 1. A combination of people for an evil purpose; an agreement, between two or more persons, to commit a crime in concert, as treason; a plot. [ 1913 Webster ]

When shapen was all his conspiracy
From point to point. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

They made a conspiracy against [ Amaziah ]. 2 Kings xiv. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban and his confederates. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A concurence or general tendency, as of circumstances, to one event, as if by agreement. [ 1913 Webster ]

A conspiracy in all heavenly and earthly things. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) An agreement, manifesting itself in words or deeds, by which two or more persons confederate to do an unlawful act, or to use unlawful to do an act which is lawful; confederacy.

Syn. -- Combination; plot; cabal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Curacies [ See Cure, Curate. ] The office or employment of a curate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Degenerate, a. ] 1. The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Willful degeneracy from goodness. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of having become degenerate; decline in good qualities; deterioration; meanness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

To recover mankind out of their universal corruption and degeneracy. S. Clarke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Delirate. ] Delirium. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Democracies [ F. démocratie, fr. Gr. dhmokrati`a; dh^mos the people + kratei^n to be strong, to rule, kra`tos strength. ] 1. Government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained and directly exercised by the people. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Government by popular representation; a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but is indirectly exercised through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed; a constitutional representative government; a republic. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Collectively, the people, regarded as the source of government. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The principles and policy of the Democratic party, so called. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. dai`mwn demon + kra`tos strength: cf. F. démonocratie. ] The power or government of demons. [ 1913 Webster ]

A demonocracy of unclean spirits. H. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. doy^los slave + kratei^n to rule. ] A government by slaves. [ Written also dulocracy. ] Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Doulocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, an old man + &unr_; to rule. ] Government by old men. [ R. ] Gladstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Gyneocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. gynaikokrati`a; gynh`, gynaiko`s, a woman + kratei^n to rule: cf. F. gynécocratie. Cf. Gynocracy. ] Government by a woman, female power; gyneocracy. Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Gynecocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Gynecocracy. ] Female government; gynecocracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The aforesaid state has repeatedly changed from absolute despotism to republicanism, not forgetting the intermediate stages of oligarchy, limited monarchy, and even gynocracy; for I myself remember Alsatia governed for nearly nine months by an old fishwoman. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "a`gios holy, and kratei^n to govern.] Government by a priesthood; hierarchy. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Gr. "iero`s sacred + &unr_; to be strong, rule.] Government by ecclesiastics; a hierarchy. Jefferson.

n.; pl. Illiteracies [ From Illiterate. ] 1. The state of being illiterate, or uneducated; lack of learning, or knowledge; ignorance; specifically, inability to read and write; as, the illiteracy shown by the last census. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An instance of ignorance; a literary blunder. [ 1913 Webster ]

The many blunders and illiteracies of the first publishers of his [ Shakespeare's ] works. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Immoderate. ] Immoderateness. [ R. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Inaccuracies [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The quality of being inaccurate; lack of accuracy or exactness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is inaccurate or incorrect; mistake; fault; defect; error; as, in inaccuracy in speech, copying, calculation, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Inconsiderateness; thoughtlessness. [ Obs. ] Chesterfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Inveterate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Firm establishment by long continuance; firmness or deep-rooted obstinacy of any quality or state acquired by time; as, the inveteracy of custom, habit, or disease; -- usually in a bad sense; as, the inveteracy of prejudice or of error. [ 1913 Webster ]

An inveteracy of evil habits that will prompt him to contract more. A. Tucker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Malignity; spitefulness; virulency. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rancor of pamphlets, the inveteracy of epigrams, and the mortification of lampoons. Guardian. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Unregeneracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or practice of itinerating; itinerancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Jesuit + -cracy, as in aristocracy. ] Government by Jesuits; also, the whole body of Jesuits in a country. [ R. ] C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. ka`kistos worst + kratei^n to rule. ] Government by the worst men. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of being literate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Magistracies [ From Magistrate. ] 1. The office or dignity of a magistrate. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The collective body of magistrates. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A form of social system in which power goes to those with superior intellects. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. The belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth or birth. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Ministration. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Mob rabble + -cracy, as in democracy. ] A condition in which the lower classes of a nation control public affairs without respect to law, precedents, or vested rights. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is good name that Dr. Stevens has given to our present situation (for one can not call it a government), a mobocracy. Walpole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Mono- + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government by a single person; undivided rule. Sydney Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Neo-+ -cracy, as in aristocracy. ] Government by new or inexperienced hands; upstart rule; raw or untried officials. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. no`mos law + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government in accordance with a system of law. Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. skill with numbers and mathematics; -- the skill with numbers analogous to literacy, the skill of reading. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. The duality or state of being obdurate; invincible hardness of heart; obstinacy. “Obduracy and persistency.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The absolute completion of sin in final obduracy. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'o`chlos the populace, multitude + kratei^n to be strong, to rule, kra`tos strength: cf. F. ochlocratie. ] A form of government by the multitude; a mobocracy; mob rule. Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Panto- + Gr. &unr_; equal + &unr_; to rule. ] A Utopian community, in which all should rule equally, such as was devised by Coleridge, Lovell, and Southey, in their younger days. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. para- + cyanogen. ] (Chem.) A polymeric modification of cyanogen, obtained as a brown or black amorphous residue by heating mercuric cyanide. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. para- + cymene. ] (Chem.) Same as Cymene. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pedant + democracy. ] The sway of pedants. [ R. ] J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Piracies [ Cf. LL. piratia, Gr. &unr_;. See Pirate. ] 1. The act or crime of a pirate. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Common Law) Robbery on the high seas; the taking of property from others on the open sea by open violence; without lawful authority, and with intent to steal; -- a crime answering to robbery on land. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

☞ By statute law several other offenses committed on the seas (as trading with known pirates, or engaging in the slave trade) have been made piracy. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. “Sometimes used, in a quasi-figurative sense, of violation of copyright; but for this, infringement is the correct and preferable term.” Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Planter + -cracy, as in democracy. ] Government by planters; planters, collectively. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]