The Concept of Democracy in Lithuanian Lexicographic Sources and Its Reflection in the Worldview of Young People and Media Texts

This article analyses how the concept of democracy is understood in Lithuanian lexicographic sources, what democracy means to young people, and how Lithuanians use and interpret the term in various contexts. Using the methodology of the Lublin ethnolinguistic school, the study aims to outline a cognitive definition of this concept. The results of the research revealed that Lithuanian lexicographic sources emphasise the political system, the right to vote, representation, and participation in the management of an organisation. For young people, democracy is a form of government that is primarily about freedom of choice, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of creativity, freedom of expression, personal freedom, freedom of selfdetermination, even freedom to live and die. Young people also associate democracy with fair elections, equality, and human rights. The various discourses also emphasise the form of governance and freedom, but at the same time note that there is no such thing as absolute freedom, so freedom goes hand in hand with tolerance and respect for other people’s opinions and thoughts. Critics argue that democracy in our society risks becoming not a form of governance but a procedure for legitimising authority, where the scales heavily tilt towards those in power. Democracy, like other values, requires nurturing and must be instilled anew in each generation.