regime

noun

re·​gime rā-ˈzhēm 

ri-

also ri-ˈjēm

variants or less commonly régime

1

a

: a form of government

a socialist regime

b

: a government in power

opposes the new military regime

c

: a period of rule

during the dictator's regime

d

: mode of rule or management

the regime of secrecy surrounding the investigation

2

a

: regimen sense 1

b

: a regular pattern of occurrence or action (as of seasonal rainfall)

c

: the characteristic behavior or orderly procedure of a natural phenomenon or process

Synonyms of regime

• government
• rule
• administration
• governance

Examples of regime in a Sentence

The new regime is sure to fall.

Under the new regime, all workers must file a weekly report.

He was put on a strict exercise regime.

Recent Examples on the Web

As bait, the researchers created a fake startup, Ballena Azul, which pretended to focus on decentralized finance for large holders of cryptocurrency, which North Koreans have been known to target to fund the country’s regime. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 11 Aug. 2026

The court also handed the same sentence to seven other former security officials, including Assad’s brother Maher and cousin Atef Najib, in the first such ruling since the fall of the regime in December 2024. — Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2026

The Kremlin is now cooperating with the new regime in Damascus, including transferring control of two former Mediterranean military bases, but is unlikely to extradite its guest. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026

He’s been closely guarded and closed off from the world since, as Russia has sought to secure a relationship with the new regime led by President Ahmed al Sharaa. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French régime, from Old French regimen, regime, from Late Latin regimin-, regimen

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Phrases Containing regime

• puppet regime

Rhymes for regime

• abeam
• airstream
• bloodstream
• daydream
• downstream
• esteem
• extreme
• grapheme
• hakim
• hornbeam
• lexeme
• mainstream

Kids Definition

regime

noun

re·​gime

variants also régime

rā-ˈzhēm 

ri-

1

a

: regimen sense 1

b

: a regular pattern of doing something

2

a

: a method of rule or management

b

: a form of government or administration

especially : a governmental or social system

c

: a period of rule of a regime

Medical Definition

regime

noun

re·​gime

rā-ˈzhēm, ri- also ri-ˈjēm

: regimen

Legal Definition

regime

noun

re·​gime

rā-ˈzhēm, ri-

: a system of principles, rules, or regulations for administration (as of property)

the mandatory consecutive sentencing regime

—People v. Garcia, 642 N.E.2d 1077 (1994)

community property regime

—used especially in the civil law of Louisiana

Note: Under the Louisiana Civil Code there are various regimes for various types of property, such as community or separate property. These regimes, while usually established by the law, may also be modified or created by agreement of the parties.