Ideocratic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɪdioʊˈkɹætɪk/

Definitions

1. Describing a system where governance or organization is defined by specific ideals or doctrines
2. Pertaining to a structure of rule that is fundamentally shaped by particular ideological beliefs
3. Characterized by control or administration based strictly on a fixed set of ideas or principles

Etymology: "Ideocratic" is a plain compound, built from "ideo-", a combining form meaning "idea," and "-cratic," the adjective ending that goes with "-cracy," meaning "rule" or "government." Put together, it describes a system governed by ideas rather than by people, classes or force. The "-cracy" element comes from Greek "kratia," meaning "power" or "rule," the same root behind "democracy" and "aristocracy." Attaching "ideo-" to that stem follows the pattern of the many political coinages built on "-cracy," where the prefix names what holds the power: "theocracy" for rule by god, "plutocracy" for rule by wealth. Here the ruling force is the idea itself. Because it is a transparent formation, the term carries its meaning in its parts, and it reads as a deliberate coinage rather than a word that drifted into use over centuries.