Kevin
September 29, 2023
Common Questions

Since Americans hold the ultimate political power in the United States, the Land of the Free is a democracy. The U.S. is also a republic, however, because the elected representatives exercise political power.

Wondering what the word republic (rəˈpʌb.lɪk, rɪpʌblɪk) means and how it differs from democracy? We can help. Read on as we explore this interesting term to uncover its definition, origin, and more.

What Is the Definition of Republic?

According to Dictionary.com, our word of the day can be defined as a country without a king or queen — usually governed by elected representatives of the citizen body.

In other words, it’s a form of government whose head of state isn’t a monarch but an elected or nominated president. Republics have been around as early as Ancient Rome — you know, before it plummeted to the ground. The United States of America is also a republic.

As per the Cambridge English Dictionary, republic is also used to reference any of the constituent political and territorial units within Yugoslavia, as well as the U.S.S.R.

As we have stated previously, a republic has a republican government, but this is not to be confused with the Republican political party, which will always have a capitalized “r.”

Additionally, you may see our word of the day used in the term “democratic republic,” which by definition is a type of government that utilizes not only democratic principles but republic principles as well.

Fun Fact: “Banana Republic” is not just the name of your grandfather’s favorite clothing store at the mall; it’s a term used to reference a smaller Caribbean island that is run by a dictator.

What Is the Origin of the Word Republic?

Republic comes from a few slightly varying sources; it is a derivative of both the French république and Middle French republique. Republic is also a derivative of Latin rēs pūblica or Latin respublica — which literally means public thing.

Though not recorded in English until 1595 to 1605, the term as defined today evolved from the constitution of the ancient Roman Republic, which later became the Roman Empire.

What Are Synonyms and Antonyms of Republic?

As most of us may remember from grade school, utilizing a thesaurus is an outstanding way to get to know a word inside and out. However, if you don’t regularly crack open our thesaurus, we’ve got you covered!

With a little help from the WordHippo online English language Thesaurus, here are antonyms and synonyms of republic listed for you to review:

Synonyms

Representative Democracy
Commonwealth
Self-government
Constitutional government
Democratic state
Self-rule
Representative government

Antonyms

Dictatorship
Monarchy
Tyranny
Unfairness
Inequality
Despotism

How Can You Use Republic in a Sentence?

Now that you’re better acquainted with the word republic, it’s time to put your newfound knowledge to the test. Quiz yourself to see how many correct sentences you can come up with using our word of the day.

To get you going, check out our sentence examples listed for you below:

Wow, you missed an amazing lecture today! We learned so much about the United Communist Party of Nepal and how they fought a brutal civil war under the promise of a corruption-free federal republic.

Apparently, the system of government in the United States is a republic!

I am still at a loss for words after what the senator said at lunch today. Honestly, I never took him for a Galactic Republic fan — I have never been happier.

Did you know that the French Fourth Republic was the republican government of France that was governed by the fourth republican constitution?

Athenian Democracy in Greece is an early example of democracy as opposed to a republic.

Have you ever wondered why the Founders thought that a republican form of government was best?

Since the United States doesn’t have a king or queen and is governed by elected representatives, it’s considered a republic.

What Are Translations of Republic?

Wondering how to say republic in a different language? We’ve got you covered. Here are some common translations of the word republic:

Dutch — republiek
Japanese — 共和政体
Korean — 공화국
Norwegian — republikk
Polish — republika
European Portuguese — república
Romanian — republică
European Spanish — república
Finnish — tasavalta
French — république
British English — republic
German — Republik
Russian — республика
Spanish — república
Swedish — republik
Thai — สาธารณรัฐ
Turkish — cumhuriyet
Ukrainian — республіка
Vietnamese — nền cộng hòa
Greek — δημοκρατία
American English — republic
Arabic — جُمْهورِيَّة
Brazilian Portuguese — república
Chinese (simplified) — 共和国
Croatian — republika
Czech — republika
Danish — republik
Italian — repubblica

What Are Some Countries With a Republic Government?

A republic is a form of government where the people have supreme power and they exercise their power by voting and electing representatives to make decisions and govern. With this in mind, here are some countries with a federal republic government:

Argentine Republic
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Federal Republic of Germany
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Federal Republic of Somalia
Federated States of Micronesia
Federative Republic of Brazil
Republic of Austria
Republic of India
Republic of Iraq
Republic of the Sudan
Russian Federation
Swiss Confederation
Union of Comoros
United Mexican States
United States of America

Bottom Line

To recap, a republic is most commonly defined as a type of government in which the citizens have the supreme power — and they exercise that power through voting and electing representatives to govern.

In simpler terms, it’s a system of government that isn’t run by a King or a Queen but by elected officials, such as a president.

Sources:

Is the United States a democracy or a republic? | RepresentUs

REPUBLIC: definition | The Cambridge English Dictionary

What is another word for republic? : Synonyms | Word Hippo

Examples of a Republic: Types in Different Countries | Your Dictionary

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.