Meaning & use
regime
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Meanings
nouncountabledisapproving
A government, especially one that rules harshly or came to power by force.
Grammar: Often negative: the old regime, a military regime.
Patterns
- under a regime
- the regime in a place
Thousands fled the brutal regime.
The regime banned all public protests.
People lived in fear under the military regime.
nouncountableformal
A system of rules or a way of managing something, such as an official scheme of control.
Grammar: Used about systems: a tax regime, a trading regime.
Patterns
- a regime of something
The new tax regime favors small businesses.
The hospital introduced a stricter safety regime.
Both countries signed up to the same trading regime.
nouncountable
A planned routine, such as one for diet, exercise, or medicine, followed regularly.
Grammar: Often a regime of diet or exercise; the spelling regimen is also used.
Patterns
- a regime of something
She follows a strict exercise regime.
The doctor set out a regime of pills and rest.
His morning skincare regime takes ten minutes.
Word forms
| plural | regimes |
|---|
Common combinations
- authoritarian regime
- The authoritarian regime controlled the media.
- overthrow a regime
- Protesters tried to overthrow the regime.
- strict regime
- The coach put the team on a strict regime.
- new regime
- Staff did not like the new regime at the firm.
- fall of the regime
- The fall of the regime surprised everyone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- government
- Government is neutral, while regime usually suggests harsh or unelected rule.
- administration
- Administration is the neutral word for a leader's term in office, which regime is not.
- regimen
- Regimen is the more common word for a planned diet or treatment, while regime favors political meaning.
- routine
- Routine is a casual daily habit, while regime is more planned and strict.
Opposites
Word family
- regimen noun
- a planned course of diet, exercise, or treatment
- regimented adjective
- strictly controlled
- regiment noun
- a military unit
- regimentation noun
- strict organization and control
Commonly confused: regime or regimen?
regime vs regimen
Regimen is the usual word for a health plan, while regime is the usual word for a government.
Practice
Which sentence uses regime in its political sense?
Choose one answer.
Only the first sentence uses regime as a noun for a ruling government. The others misuse it grammatically or in meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “regime”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.