republic

American  

[ri-puhb-lik] / rɪˈpʌb lɪk /

noun

1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

2. any body of persons viewed as a commonwealth.

3. a state in which the head of government is not a monarch or other hereditary head of state.

4. (initial capital letter) any of the five periods of republican government in France.

5. (initial capital letter, italics) a philosophical dialogue (4th century b.c.) by Plato dealing with the composition and structure of the ideal state.

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republic British  

/ rɪˈpʌblɪk /

noun

1. a form of government in which the people or their elected representatives possess the supreme power

2. a political or national unit possessing such a form of government

3. a constitutional form in which the head of state is an elected or nominated president

4. any community or group that resembles a political republic in that its members or elements exhibit a general equality, shared interests, etc

   the republic of letters

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republic Cultural  

1. A form of government in which power is explicitly vested in the people, who in turn exercise their power through elected representatives. Today, the terms republic and democracy are virtually interchangeable, but historically the two differed. Democracy implied direct rule by the people, all of whom were equal, whereas republic implied a system of government in which the will of the people was mediated by representatives, who might be wiser and better educated than the average person. In the early American republic, for example, the requirement that voters own property and the establishment of institutions such as the Electoral College were intended to cushion the government from the direct expression of the popular will.

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Other Word Forms

• semirepublic
  noun

Etymology

Origin of republic

First recorded in 1595–1605; from French république, Middle French, from Latin rēs pūblica, equivalent to rēs “thing, entity” ( cf. rebus ( def. )) + pūblica public

Explanation

If you live in a republic, then you live in a country with a leader freely and democratically elected by the people, as opposed to a dictatorship or monarchy. Ancient Rome, before it started declining and falling all over the place, was a republic, and so is the United States. Republics have what are termed "republican" forms of government — not to be confused with Republican-with-a-big-R, as in the American political party. If you live in a "Banana Republic" you probably live in a tiny Caribbean island run by a dictator. Or you're spending too much time at the mall.

Example Sentences

"Kenya is a sovereign republic, not a geopolitical isolation ward," it added.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

One side will feature the symbolic Marianne face representing the French republic, while the other will show a map of the nation's territories, the Mint said.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday, with Islamabad mediating as the Islamic republic examines a new US proposal to end the Middle East war.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

This republic requires men and women to do long-form deliberation, serious thinking, honest humility and daily striving.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

After the burial he drew up and personally submitted to the president of the republic a violent telegram, which the telegrapher refused to send.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez