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

The United States also revoked a license for Iran to sell oil in response to a series of attacks on the commercial vessels that the regime has not taken responsibility for. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 8 July 2026

The state sponsor of terrorism label, first imposed on Syria in 1979 after a previous regime sided with Palestinian militants, continues to repel the business deals the country needs to recover from its crippling civil war. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 8 July 2026

Macron arrived in Syria on Monday evening local time to meet the country’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, SANA said, marking the first official visit by a Western leader to the country since the fall of the Assad regime in December, 2024. — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

Yet even a robust licensing regime cannot remedy all the harms caused by GenAI. — Zoey Forbes, The Dial, 7 July 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.