dude,

I said: the dictionary is quite clear: ONE of the definitions is X. Then I bring ALL the defintions.
Smiley said: you don't know english. There are many definitions, you cannot say that the dictionary is clear.

And then he starts to talk about the difference between definition and synonynm, in order to prove that I don't know english..

COME-ON. He earned the title "pedant".

As for comments, you are saying things that I simply did not do.
1. I did not "ran" to the dictionary.
2. I did not try to "prove" anything, or to claim anything about the truness of the word. .
3. In my original message, I did not say anything about THE definition. In fact I specifically attached all the other definitions, which are closer to smiley's definition.

Bottom line, the discussion is not about the dictionary and how to read it. Its about the common usage of the word "democracy". But words may have more than one usage. And this is the case for "democracy". One usage is what smiley says, and the other is "majority rule".

Thank you, and sorry for bringing up a dictionary reference. I will remember not to do that again.

"Thank you, and sorry for bringing up a dictionary reference. I will remember not to do that again."