of, relating to, or of the nature of a republic.
favoring a republic.
fitting or appropriate for the citizen of a republic.
a very republican notion.
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Republican Party.
a person who favors a republican form of government.
(initial capital letter) a member of the Republican Party.
of, belonging to, or relating to a Republican Party
of, belonging to, or relating to the Irish Republican Army
a member or supporter of a Republican Party
a member or supporter of the Irish Republican Army
of, resembling, or relating to a republic
supporting or advocating a republic
First recorded in 1685–95, republican is from the French word républicain, Middle French. See republic, -an
The adjective republican describes a government made up of representatives who are elected by the citizens. If you live in the United States, you’re part of a republican system of government. In a republican government, citizens have a lot of power — their vote determines who is running the government. The word republican has a noun and an adjective form. The noun is for a person who supports that style of government, and the adjective describes something with those characteristics. But if you see republican with a capital letter “r” — Republican — then that refers to a member of the Republican Party.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Without equal citizenship, equal voting rights, and equal opportunity to elect representatives of one’s choice, republican government was an impossibility.
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026
Alastair Campbell, a longstanding republican, posted: "Excellent speech by King Charles... Loved the confidence in British and European values."
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
The Irish republican party is also the largest at Stormont and at local council level.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
John Adams called the Bible “the most republican book in the world.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
By resigning voluntarily, he was declaring that his deepest allegiances, like those of his critics, were thoroughly republican.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
When elected, Riordan became the first Republican mayor of Los Angeles in 36 years — and no Republican has been elected to that office since.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Donald Trump Jr. attended, as did Eric Trump and his wife Lara, who was then co-chair of the Republican National Committee.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
For months, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been calling on Hegseth to offer more information about the war, including its costs and strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The 80-year-old Republican has previously played down any suggestion of problems with the new aircraft.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
With just a few months remaining before the election, Barack didn’t even have a Republican opponent.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
That leaves many Irish republicans in an unexpected position.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026
And finding an elected President who could unite Scotland England Wales and Northern Ireland would, I suspect, be a good deal harder than some republicans think.
From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2025
Militant Irish republicans had been paying close attention to Carson’s tactics — which anticipated Mao Zedong’s maxim about the source of political power — and would eagerly emulate his example in the years ahead.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2024
O’Neill, 47, was elected to the Stormont Assembly in 2007 and comes from a family of Irish republicans.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 3, 2024
The monarchs of Europe, invoked and backed by the jealous Italian States, conspired together against Venice, and were driven off by the amphibious and brave republicans.
From Rule of the Monk or, Rome in the Nineteenth Century by Garibaldi, Giuseppe
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.
