crat
Greekpower, rule, government
About This Root
From Greek kratos (power, strength, rule). A cornerstone of political vocabulary — democracy (people power), aristocrat (rule by the best), bureaucracy (rule by offices), autocrat (self-ruler), technocrat (rule by technical experts), and plutocrat (rule by the wealthy). The suffix -cracy names the system; -crat names the ruler within it.
Associated Words · 11
democratic
Based on or supporting democracy; egalitarian
democrat
A supporter of democracy or member of a Democratic Party
democracy
A system of government by elected representatives
bureaucracy
A complex administrative system with many rules and officials
bureaucratic
Relating to bureaucracy; excessively rule-bound
aristocrat
A member of the aristocracy or hereditary nobility
technocrat
A technical expert in a managerial role; an advocate of technocracy
autocracy
A system of government with unlimited power held by one person
autocrat
A ruler with absolute power
plutocrat
A wealthy person who wields political or social power
gynaecocracy
Government or rule by women