regimen

noun

reg·​i·​men ˈre-jə-mən 

also

ˈre-zhə- 

1

a

: a systematic plan (as of diet, therapy, or medication) especially when designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient

b

: a regular course of action and especially of strenuous training

the daily regimen of athletes

2

: government, rule

3

: regime sense 2c

Did you know?

Being but humble lexicographers, we cannot say whether an apple a day truly keeps the doctor away, but as far as regimens go, one could do a lot worse than snackin' on a McIntosh. Regimen, which usually refers to a system of rules or guidelines—often for living a healthy life or taking a regular dose of exercise—comes ultimately from a Latin verb, regere, meaning "to direct." Regere led in apple-pie order to the English word regimen, first by way of the Latin noun regimen, meaning "steering" or "control," and then via the Medieval Latin regimen, referring to a set of rules. Other regere descendants fell further from the tree, including correct, erect, region, rule, and surge. Be sure not to confuse regimen with regiment, which refers to a military unit, as doing so could upset the apple cart.

Synonyms of regimen

• government
• administration
• rule
• regime
• governance

Examples of regimen in a Sentence

with the start of the new year, a new party will have regimen over the nation and, hopefully, bring some much-needed change

Recent Examples on the Web

Celebrities including Kylie Jenner and Hailey Bieber have amplified the trend, posting their regimens that resulted in similar dewy skin. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

As Manganiello was just beginning to recover, weaning himself with difficulty from a heavy regimen of painkillers that had tested his sobriety, his agent called with the news that Ben Affleck wanted to discuss a role in the new Batman movie. — Joe Manganiello, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Gaunitz’s framing, that oral and topical ingredients have fundamentally different impacts, points toward combination regimens rather than either/or marketing. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026

My dad found the blog of a man who claimed to cure his Stage 4 lung cancer with a regimen of fenbendazole, a miraculous recovery that stumped his oncologists. — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin regimin-, regimen position of authority, direction, set of rules, from Latin, steering, control, from regere to direct

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

regimen

noun

reg·​i·​men ˈrej-ə-mən 

-ˌmen

1

: a regular course of treatment

2

: a form of government : rule

Medical Definition

regimen

noun

reg·​i·​men

ˈrej-ə-mən also ˈrezh-ə-

: a systematic plan (as of diet, therapy, or medication) especially when designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient