Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A state described by Plato as being governed on principles of honor and military glory.
  • noun An Aristotelian state in which civic honor or political power increases with the amount of property one owns.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A form of government in which a certain amount of property is requisite as a qualification for Office.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A state in which the love of honor is the ruling motive.
  • noun A state in which honors are distributed according to a rating of property.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Platonism A form of government in which ambition for honor, power and military glory motivates the rulers.
  • noun A form of government in which civic honor or political power increases with the amount of property one owns.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete French tymocracie, from Medieval Latin tīmocratia, from Greek tīmokratiā : tīmē, honor, value + -kratiā, -cracy.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Medieval Latin timocratia, from Greek tīmokratíā, from tīmē valuation; honor + -kratíā a rule, reign, from krateîn to rule

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word timocracy.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • Rule by people called Tim.

    September 26, 2007

  • Or, for the super nerdy, government by those who ping you for one damage.

    September 27, 2007

  • Oh, heed the opinions of him

    Who’s wise in even his whim!

    The world as it ought to be

    Is found in timocracy

    As limned in the wisdom of Tim.

    February 18, 2019