republican
adjective
of, relating to, or of the nature of a republic.
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republican
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Republican
Republicanadjectiveof, belonging to, or relating to a Republican Party
republican
American
[ri-puhb-li-kuhn]
/ rɪˈpʌb lɪ kən /
adjective
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of, relating to, or of the nature of a republic.
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favoring a republic.
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fitting or appropriate for the citizen of a republic.
a very republican notion.
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(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Republican Party.
noun
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republicans
plural
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a person who favors a republican form of government.
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(initial capital letter) a member of the Republican Party.
republican
1
British
/ rɪˈpʌblɪkən /
adjective
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of, resembling, or relating to a republic
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supporting or advocating a republic
noun
Republican
2
British
/ rɪˈpʌblɪkən /
adjective
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of, belonging to, or relating to a Republican Party
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of, belonging to, or relating to the Irish Republican Army
noun
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a member or supporter of a Republican Party
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a member or supporter of the Irish Republican Army
Republican
Cultural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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antirepublicanadjective
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half-republicanadjective
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nonrepublicanadjective
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prerepublicanadjective
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prorepublicanadjective
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pseudorepublicanadjective
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semirepublicanadjective
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unrepublicanadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of republican
First recorded in 1685–95, republican is from the French word républicain, Middle French. See republic, -an
Explanation
The adjective republican describes a government made up of representatives who are elected by the citizens. If you live in the United States, you’re part of a republican system of government. In a republican government, citizens have a lot of power — their vote determines who is running the government. The word republican has a noun and an adjective form. The noun is for a person who supports that style of government, and the adjective describes something with those characteristics. But if you see republican with a capital letter “r” — Republican — then that refers to a member of the Republican Party.
Vocabulary lists containing republican
Lincoln Inaugural Address (March 1861)
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"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Vocabulary from the speech
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Chapter 3, Sections 1–2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"I restate the Eiffel Tower's commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women."
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
He rejoiced that “slavery has reached the limits of expansion” and that “the fate of the experiment of republican government” was no longer in danger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
"I think it evidences the fact that there is an ongoing threat in respect of dissident republican activity," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
These include the former Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan, a committed republican, and late SNP leader Alex Salmond, who had a bit more time for the royals.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
In a sense, Washington was defending his presidency as an essential exception to full-blooded republican principles.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
The letters, which preliminary tests so far indicate do not contain a hazardous material, have been sent to both Democrat and Republican lawmakers, including California Reps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
"I've condemned racism, antisemitism, hate; I don't care where the source is," the Republican said.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Rep. Tom Emmer, the House Majority Whip, was joining Republican holdouts to delay a House vote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The move to livestream Nidal Hasan's execution was widely opposed at home and abroad, prompting outrage from both US Democratic and Republican politicians, the Catholic Church and the United Nations.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Garfield also pushed for passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery, a change in the Constitution favored by Lincoln and the Republican Party.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
That leaves many Irish republicans in an unexpected position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
Maskey described his gesture as a "major step for republicans and nationalists on this island".
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2024
Militant Irish republicans had been paying close attention to Carson’s tactics — which anticipated Mao Zedong’s maxim about the source of political power — and would eagerly emulate his example in the years ahead.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2024
The details were later obtained by dissident republicans.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2024
The Dutch though republicans themselves, had during the latter part of our Civil War shewn sympathy with the cause of the Royalists.
From Legal Lore Curiosities of Law and Lawyers by Various
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
