Fifth Republic

American

noun

the republic established in France in 1958, the successor to the Fourth Republic.

Fifth Republic British

noun

the French republic established in 1958 as the successor to the Fourth Republic. Its constitution is characterized by the strong position of the president

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Fifth Republic

General Charles de Gaulle, the World War II hero and architect of the Fifth Republic, designed the presidency to govern with the backing of a majority in the National Assembly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025

Under France's Fifth Republic, the Senate has less influence over legislating than the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.

From Reuters ● Sep. 24, 2023

Only once since France’s Fifth Republic was established in 1958 has a government fallen in a no-confidence vote.

From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2023

France’s strong presidential powers are a legacy from Gen. Charles de Gaulle’s desire to have a stable political system for the Fifth Republic he established in 1958.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 19, 2023

In fact, it has been used precisely 100 times in the more than 60 years of the Fifth Republic, and by governments of all shades.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023