participatory

adjective

par·​tic·​i·​pa·​to·​ry pär-ˈti-sə-pə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce participatory (audio)
pər-
: characterized by or involving participation
especially : providing the opportunity for individual participation
participatory democracy
participatory management

Examples of participatory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With delivery verging on manic, the comedian leads audiences through a maze of offbeat non sequiturs, experimental multimedia, bizarre participatory rituals, elaborate fabrications, and subversions of comedy norms. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2024 The website of the State of Nebraska legislature notes that the founders of this country specifically rejected the establishment of a monarchy, which by definition eschews participatory governance. Blake D. Morant, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 In a participatory universe, one observer can ask a question and get an answer in response, and another observer can come along — tomorrow, next week, a billion years from now — and ask a different, incompatible question and get a different, incompatible answer. Quanta Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024 But other forms of democracy — direct democracy (initiative and referenda), participatory democracy (as in budgeting), deliberative democracy (like citizen assemblies) and digital democracy (platforms like Pol.is and Decidim) — are growing, especially locally. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for participatory 

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of participatory was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near participatory

Cite this Entry

“Participatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/participatory. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on participatory

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!