republicanism
Americannoun
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republican government.
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republican principles or adherence to them.
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(initial capital letter) the principles or policy of the Republican Party.
noun
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the principles or theory of republican government
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support for a republic
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(often capital) support for a Republican Party or for the Irish Republican Army
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of republicanism
First recorded in 1680–90; republican + -ism
Explanation
Republicanism is the political belief that the best form of government is one in which citizens choose their representatives and leaders through free elections. In the U.S., the Founding Fathers were proponents of republicanism. In the United States, republicanism is occasionally used to mean "ideas or policies of the Republican party," but the definition of the word is general more broad. The principles of republicanism can be held by members of any political party: as long as you support the concept of representative government by citizens who actively participate in it, you're a fan of republicanism. The word comes from republic and its Latin root, respublica which means "commonwealth or public interest."
Vocabulary lists containing republicanism
STAAR U.S. History 1
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Government and Citizenship (Grade 8)
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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.
Throughout Reconstruction, Black Americans fought for what the 1869 National Convention of Colored Men deemed a “cardinal idea” of republicanism: “The people shall have a voice as to who shall rule over them.”
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026
In Andrew’s case, any sizable number of individual conversations with the man would have kindled a wildfire of republicanism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026
We can't give up on the American experiment in democratic republicanism, especially on the eve of the semi-quincentennial centennial, the 250th founding anniversary.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2025
At the time, debates about the pros and cons of democracy, republicanism and constitutionalism were common on Chinese social media.
From New York Times ● Jan. 19, 2024
Even the Jacobins, who had formally declined to sanction republicanism, were troubled by the discovery of a society more radical than themselves.
From The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. I. (of II) With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England; to which is added a Sketch of Paine by William Cobbett by Moncure Daniel Conway
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
