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• republican
  republican

  adjective

  of, relating to, or of the nature of a republic.
• Republican
  Republican

  adjective

  of, belonging to, or relating to a Republican Party

republican

American  

[ri-puhb-li-kuhn] / rɪˈpʌb lɪ kən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of a republic.

2. favoring a republic.

3. fitting or appropriate for the citizen of a republic.

   a very republican notion.

4. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Republican Party.

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noun

• republicans
  plural

1. a person who favors a republican form of government.

2. (initial capital letter) a member of the Republican Party.

republican ¹ British  

/ rɪˈpʌblɪkən /

adjective

1. of, resembling, or relating to a republic

2. supporting or advocating a republic

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noun

1. a supporter or advocate of a republic

Republican ² British  

/ rɪˈpʌblɪkən /

adjective

1. of, belonging to, or relating to a Republican Party

2. of, belonging to, or relating to the Irish Republican Army

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noun

1. a member or supporter of a Republican Party

2. a member or supporter of the Irish Republican Army

Republican Cultural  

1. A member of the Republican party.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antirepublican
  adjective
• half-republican
  adjective
• nonrepublican
  adjective
• prerepublican
  adjective
• prorepublican
  adjective
• pseudorepublican
  adjective
• semirepublican
  adjective
• unrepublican
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• republicans
  plural

Etymology

Origin of republican

First recorded in 1685–95, republican is from the French word républicain, Middle French. See republic, -an

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

republican Republican republicans

"I restate the Eiffel Tower's commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women."

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

Brian Anderson, a Methodist minister with the East Belfast Mission, said the narrative that loyalist communities are losing out to those in republican areas is deeply ingrained.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Mark Joseph Stern: This idea of republican virtue, lowercase r, civic virtue, the Framers were obsessed with it.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

He rejoiced that “slavery has reached the limits of expansion” and that “the fate of the experiment of republican government” was no longer in danger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

For it purported to create a consolidated federal government with powers sufficient to coerce obedience to national laws—in effect, to discipline a truly continental union—while remaining true to the republican principles of 1776.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

“We’re in a little bit of uncharted territory here,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican consultant who led Sen. John Cornyn’s unsuccessful primary bid against Paxton.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

Near the stage, state Sen. Christine Drazan, the Republican nominee for governor, shook hands with prospective voters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Both Republican and Democratic attorneys general associations are on track to have their most successful fundraising years ever, WSJ’s analysis of federal filings shows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Rep. Tom Barrett, a Republican congressman running for reelection in Michigan’s 7th District, was one of several speakers who talked about the unity that followed 9/11.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

The political consensus that had held together during Washington’s first term, and had then begun to fragment into Federalist and Republican camps over the Whiskey Rebellion and Jay’s Treaty, broke down completely in 1797.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

The prosecution suggested that the disorder which broke out had been deliberately orchestrated by dissident republicans to coincide with the presence of MTV.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

By coincidence, Norwegian MPs vote on Tuesday on a motion that republicans submit by tradition every few years, although no-one expects it to attract much support.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

That leaves many Irish republicans in an unexpected position.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

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

The French Revolution itself had become a domestic issue and was to inject more passion into the strife between the monocrats and the republicans.

From Thomas Jefferson The Apostle of Americanism by Gilbert Chinard

Related Words

• congressperson
• lawmaker
• leader
• legislator
• member of Congress
• officeholder
• president
• representative
• senator