regime

American  

[ruh-zheem, rey-, -jeem] / rəˈʒim, reɪ-, -ˈdʒim /

Or régime

noun

regimes plural

1. a mode or system of rule or government.

   a dictatorial regime.

2. a ruling or prevailing system.

3. a government in power.

4. the period during which a particular government or ruling system is in power.

5. Medicine/Medical. regimen.

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regime British  

/ reɪˈʒiːm /

noun

1. a system of government or a particular administration

   a fascist regime

   the regime of Fidel Castro

2. a social system or order

3. med another word for regimen

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regime Cultural  

1. An administration, or a system of managing government.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• regimes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of regime

First recorded in 1770–80; from French régime, from Latin regimen regimen

Explanation

A regime is the ruling government of a country. The amount of freedom and restriction that citizens of a country have can change from regime to regime. Regime takes its militaristic and government feel from the Latin word regimen "to rule." A political regime has a negative association to it that makes you think of totalitarian governments. How did it come to mean "diet" or "program of exercise" as well? If you are put on a regime of exercise and healthy eating, you are ordered by a doctor to do these things and it probably feels like you're being ruled sometimes!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

regime regimes

Successive governments have opted for a lighter voluntary due diligence regime.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

President Donald Trump has rolled out a new regime of tariffs.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

EU trade spokesman Olof Gill said: "It is our clear understanding and expectation that the US will honor the commitments that are spelled out under the EU-US Joint Statement, whatever tariff regime is constructed."

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

Those are widely seen as more legally durable, but trade observers expect that overall U.S. tariff rates won’t change much in the short term under the new legal regime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

To completely ensure the men didn't double-cross the Nazi regime, they were warned that Gestapo agents had infiltrated the FBI.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

They have data showing how different asset classes behave in different market regimes, so they wanted to find out how well an AI agent can do identifying the current macro regime.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Because synthetic rotation can imitate motion beyond the speed of light, researchers now have a controlled laboratory platform for exploring physical regimes that would otherwise be impossible to study directly.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026

Advances in sports science, from training regimes to nutrition and recovery, have made it possible for footballers to keep playing at elite level for longer.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

You’ll regularly hear them trying to separate a love of their country and its people from support of problematic regimes.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

These habits of former times appear to me now lavish, decadent almost; immoral, like the orgies of barbarian regimes.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

• administration
• establishment
• government
• management
• reign
• rule
• system