ethnocracy

[ eth-nok-ruh-see ]

noun

1. government controlled by the dominant ethnic group, or by two or more distinct ethnic groups, each representing only its own interests: .

   Some believe the country's ethnocracy is responsible for the atmosphere of discontent and division

2. a nation, state, or community in which political power is distributed according to ethnic or racial affiliation:

   The country would remain an ethnocracy until a fully democratic system was instituted.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ethnocracy¹

First recorded in 1905–10; ethno- ( def ) + -cracy ( def )

Example Sentences

In the summary of its verdict, the court ruled that Bosnia’s power-sharing arrangements have turned the country into an “ethnocracy” in which ethnicity, and not citizenship, is the key to securing power and resources.

From Seattle Times

The preference that Israeli law gives to Jews over non-Jews does make Israel an “ethnocracy,” rather than a democracy, as Cypel is hardly the first to note; the Israeli Supreme Court has indeed given “legal cover” to the theft of Palestinian land and homes; and Israel has had a history of supporting “nefarious governments,” from apartheid South Africa to Augusto Pinochet’s Chile to Viktor Orban’s Hungary.

From Washington Post

Without ever mentioning the history that led to such brutal behavior, he moves on to Israel’s controversial 2018 nation-state bill, which codified legal preference for Jewish citizens into the country’s Basic Laws, making Israel an “ethnocracy,” not a democracy.

From Washington Post

In Israel, as elsewhere, ethnocracy and kleptocracy go hand-in-hand.

From The Guardian

“There is an aspiration for ethnocracy,” added Mr. Penslar.

From New York Times