Meaning & use
republic
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Meanings
nouncountable
A country governed by elected representatives and an elected head of state, not a king or queen.
Grammar: Often capitalized when part of a name: the Republic of Ireland. Used with an or the: a republic, the republic.
Patterns
- a republic
- the Republic of …
- declare a republic
France became a republic after the revolution.
The country is a federal republic with a president and a congress.
She wrote a book about the early years of the republic.
noununcountable
A form of government in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected officials.
Grammar: Used without an article when referring to the system: a supporter of republic.
Patterns
- a supporter of republic
- establish a republic
- under a republic
The party has long advocated for a republic instead of a monarchy.
Under a republic, the head of state is usually elected, not born into the role.
Debates about republic versus monarchy continue in some countries.
Word forms
| plural | republics |
|---|
Common combinations
- democratic republic
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a vast country in central Africa.
- banana republic
- The term 'banana republic' is used critically for a politically unstable country dependent on one export.
- found a republic
- The founders wanted to found a republic based on liberty.
- republic of letters
- In the 18th century, the republic of letters connected scholars across Europe.
Synonyms and how they differ
- democracy
- Democracy emphasizes rule by the people, often through voting; a republic emphasizes elected representatives and no monarch.
- commonwealth
- Commonwealth can mean a political community for the common good; a republic is a specific form of state without a monarch.
Opposites
Word family
- republican adjective
- Relating to a republic or supporting republican government.
- republicanism noun
- Support for or the principles of a republic.
Commonly confused: republic or democracy?
republic vs democracy
A democracy is rule by the people, often directly; a republic is a state with elected representatives and no monarch. A country can be both.
Practice
In a ______, the head of state is usually elected rather than inheriting the position.
Choose one answer.
Republic fits because it has an elected head of state. Monarchy and empire have hereditary rulers; dictatorship has a ruler who seizes power, not an elected one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “republic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.