regimen
Americannoun
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Medicine/Medical. a regulated course, as of diet, exercise, or manner of living, intended to preserve or restore health or to attain some result.
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Grammar. government.
noun
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Also called: regime. a systematic way of life or course of therapy, often including exercise and a recommended diet
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administration or rule
Etymology
Origin of regimen
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin: rule, government, guidance, equivalent to reg ( ere ) to rule + -i- -i- + -men, noun suffix of result
Explanation
A regimen is a systematic plan for some kind of therapy. If your doctor tells you to eat more vegetables, cut out potato chips, exercise, and take vitamins, she is prescribing a regimen for better health. It's easy to confuse regimen with regime. While both words can refer to an organized plan for diet, exercise, or medical therapy, only regime can refer to a system of government. If you wash your face twice a day, apply medicine to your acne, and use a special lotion, that's your skin-care regimen. But if a country votes out the ruling party in favor of new leaders, that's a new regime.
Vocabulary lists containing regimen
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Six
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One of Us Is Lying
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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.
However, some studies have found that a regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol is more effective than misoprostol alone.
From Salon • May 15, 2026
But broadly speaking, the combination regimen is preferred, as it can help hasten the process and curb uncomfortable side effects including cramping and bleeding.
From Barron's • May 10, 2026
"With sufficient justification, appropriate dosage form, and dosing regimen, creatine may eventually be recognized as an over-the-counter therapeutic agent rather than merely a dietary supplement."
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
I spent weeks in the hospital, enduring many of the expected side effects from the chemo regimen.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
He extended his age-old exercise regimen from ten minutes to an hour and trotted in place while speaking on the telephone.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
