republic

American  

[ri-puhb-lik] / rɪˈpʌb lɪk /

noun

• republics
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• semirepublic
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• republics
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

republic republics

Once a small-bore banana republic marked by political instability, its weak institutions, rampant corruption and attractive location made it a target for gangsters looking to create a transit hub.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

From the beginning of the republic, they were carried out in town squares across the country.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

The work they did after they disembarked has nourished our republic to this day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The patriotism of those years seemed earnest, even when it occasionally had the bearing of Sam Eagle: chest out, chin up, deeply concerned with the dignity of the republic.

From Salon ● Sep. 2, 2026

The constitu­tional monarchy had been abolished, replaced by a republic, led by a president of the republic.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

The spreadsheet shows that Suozzi shared his table with four guests invited by Doug Burleigh, a longtime Fellowship leader focused on Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics.

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

Participating in Eurovision has helped former Soviet republics such as Estonia and Ukraine cultivate their images as part of Europe, he added.

From Barron's ● May 16, 2026

Some Central Asian republics now have closer economic ties with China than with Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

Nineteen countries showed up in Davos for the Board's inauguration from all corners of the compass - from Argentina to Azerbaijan, from former Soviet republics to Gulf kingdoms.

From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026

We see from experience that only princes and republics armed with their own troops make very great progress, and that mercenaries cause nothing but damage.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

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