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:
The meeting with the leader of Plaid Cymru - a pro-independence party rooted in a strong republican tradition - marked a significant and symbolic moment.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
"I restate the Eiffel Tower's commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women."
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 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
Independence required Americans to believe in the risky project of devising a new, republican constitution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
It is difficult for us to fathom fully the threat that Burr represented to Hamilton because we know that the American experiment with republican government was destined to succeed.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
"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
“I was talking to a Republican consultant who ran one of the big super PACs and he, like, hates all of their media consultants,” Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster, told me.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
Padilla said Democrats hoped to deploy observers alongside Republican Senate staff where possible, following the example of a longstanding House of Representatives program.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
What we might describe as admirably strong executive leadership struck Jefferson and his Republican followers as the arbitrary maneuverings of a monarch.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
When asked about the potential of dissident republicans being involved in the attack, O'Dowd, who represents Upper Bann, said he did not see support for the groups.
From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026
That leaves many Irish republicans in an unexpected position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
The barrister also asked Mr Adams about meetings with UK government representatives which he had attended with other senior republicans in 1972 in an effort to negotiate an agreement following an IRA truce.
From BBC ● May 2, 2025
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 French troops departed about the end of 1866, after which the republicans gained several victories and the empire quickly collapsed.
From The Last Words of Distinguished Men and Women (Real and Traditional) by Frederic Rowland Marvin
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