Ochlocracy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɒkˈlɒk.ɹə.si/

Definitions

1. A governance model where control rests with the masses rather than established authorities
2. A system of government where power is held by an unorganized crowd rather than legal institutions
3. Authority exercised through the influence of a disorderly group of citizens instead of formal leaders

Etymology: Ochlocracy is one of the classic Greek-built political terms, and the Greek sources it draws on are older than the word itself. The first element, "ókhlos", meant a crowd or mob, often a disorderly one, and it was paired with "krátos", meaning power or rule, the same element found in "democracy" and "aristocracy." The compound "okhlokratía" was therefore a coinage that named rule by the mob as a distinct form of government. The word reached English through Middle French "ochlocratie," which carried the Greek construction into the language. Its meaning stayed close to the original: a government in which the crowd, rather than established law or institutions, holds the power. Because it is built from transparent parts, the word explains itself, and it has survived mainly in political writing as a sharp label for mob rule.