民主 is the Chinese term for 'democracy' or 'democratic', a Meiji-era Japanese coinage (民+主) that re-entered Chinese in the early 20th century. In PRC discourse the word has specific official meanings — the 'whole-process people's democracy' framing — that differ from Western liberal-democracy connotations, so context shapes how the word lands. As an adjective, it modifies systems, processes, and decision-making styles (民主制度, 民主选举, 民主作风).