regime

American  

[ruh-zheem, ray-, -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

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Etymology

Origin of regime

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

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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

Alongside a literacy and numeracy drive, Andrews re-introduced accountability measures with annual reading and maths tests for seven-to-14 year olds, and a new school performance regime, called banding.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

My mother was born to parents who emigrated in the 1950s during Batista’s regime.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Observers note that reinforcements have played a critical role in helping the regime claw back more territory.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

The private markets exchange received regulatory approval in August 2025, when the LSE heralded it as the world’s first bespoke regulatory regime for a private stock exchange.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The international court determined that the children and teenagers of the Third Reich had been betrayed, deserted, and sacrificed by a party and a regime that had used them to attain power.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

“I think their entire approach is about this openness and also a real, critical look at authoritarian regimes of the past and this whole era.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

His most urgent task was to mold passer Justin Herbert into a winner after prior regimes seemed to squander his talents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Afghani activist Roya Mahboob stressed that women who live under oppressive regimes like the Taliban can secure financial independence only with tools, like Bitcoin, that circumvent the law.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

Her mum's a big fan of the Netflix series, which follows the cheerleaders through gruelling auditions and training regimes as they compete for their spot dancing in one of the world's best known squads.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

On the small scale, it gives you the Yankees- Red Sox rivalry; on the large one, it gives you more questionable twentieth-century regimes than I care to mention.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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Related Words

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

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