republic

noun

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re·pub·lic | \ ri-ˈpə-blik

Definition of republic

1a(1) : a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president

(2) : a political unit (such as a nation) having such a form of government

b(1) : a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law

(2) : a political unit (such as a nation) having such a form of government

c : a usually specified republican government of a political unit the French Fourth Republic

2 : a body of persons freely engaged in a specified activity the republic of letters

3 : a constituent political and territorial unit of the former nations of Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, or Yugoslavia

Synonyms Is the United States a democracy or a republic? More Example Sentences Phrases Containing republic Learn More About republic

Is the United States a democracy or a republic?

One of the most commonly encountered questions about the word democracy has nothing to do with its spelling or pronunciation, and isn’t even directly related to the meaning of the word itself. That question is “is the United States a democracy or a republic?” The answer to this, as with so many other questions about meaning, may be phrased as some form of “it depends.”

Some people assert that a country calling itself a democracy must be engaged in direct (or pure) democracy, in which the people of a state or region vote directly for policies, rather than elect representatives who make choices on their behalf. People who follow this line of reasoning hold that the United States is more properly described as a republic, using the following definition of that word: "a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law."

However, both democracy and republic have more than a single meaning, and one of the definitions we provide for democracy closely resembles the definition of republic given above: "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections."

So if someone asks you if the United States is a democracy or a republic, you may safely answer the question with either “both” or “it depends.”

Examples of republic in a Sentence

when asked by a passerby what sort of government the constitutional convention had formulated for the new nation, Benjamin Franklin memorably replied, “A republic, if you can keep it”

Recent Examples on the Web Still, giving Ukraine a candidacy position — which the EU also granted tiny Moldova, another former Soviet republic that borders Ukraine — is a boost to Kyiv’s aspirations to be part of the West and a snub to Russian President Vladimir Putin. — Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2022 Benito Juarez was Mexico’s 26th president, who fought against foreign oppression and pioneered the constitutional reforms that enabled Mexico to grow into a democratic republic. — Vivek Bhaskaran, Forbes, 21 June 2022 This is no way for the leader of a constitutional republic to behave. — The Editors, National Review, 20 June 2022 Gadzhimagomedov was an ethnic Lak from Dagestan, a Russian republic in the Caucasus. — Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 18 June 2022 But Sinn Fein, which seeks to unify Ireland as a republic, has become the largest party in Northern Ireland — and is leading polls in Ireland itself, too. — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 There’s such a sense, especially among younger people—the under-45 high school and college students—that the American constitutional republic is just broken. — The Politics Of Everything, The New Republic, 15 June 2022 He was struck, too, by the region’s lack of public amenities, such as schools and libraries, solidifying his belief that human bondage remained the country’s main impediment to becoming a great republic. — Malcolm Gay, BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2022 Obtaining republic status would remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. — Melissa Noel, Essence, 10 June 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'republic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

26 Jun 2022

Cite this Entry

“Republic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2022.

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More Definitions for republic

republic

noun

re·pub·lic | \ ri-ˈpə-blik

Kids Definition of republic

: a country with elected representatives and an elected chief of state who is not a monarch and who is usually a president

republic

noun

re·pub·lic

Legal Definition of republic

1 : a government having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president also : a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government

2 : a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law also : a political unit (as a nation) having such a form of government