Gunocracy

/ɡjuːˈnɒkrəsi/ noun

Definition

A system of government or society controlled by guns or military force rather than by laws or democratic processes.

Etymology

From Greek 'gun' (not standard) combined with '-cracy' (Greek 'kratos' meaning rule or power). This is a neologism blending 'gun' with the suffix meaning government, created in modern times to describe rule through force of arms.

Kelly Says

This is a deliberately provocative word created by critics to describe governments that maintain power primarily through military violence rather than popular consent—it's the kind of word that appears in political essays and dystopian fiction to make people think about how fragile democracy really is.

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