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 Nazi regime orchestrated the largest art theft in world history between 1933 and 1945, seizing more than 650,000 works of art across Europe from Jewish families, collectors and museums, according to the Center for Art Law. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 13 Nov. 2026

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban American from Florida who had made regime change in Cuba a foreign policy priority for the United States, attended the meeting. — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2026

Its timing has certainly been fortuitous, with France facing a Presidential election that may put the far right in power for the first time since the Vichy regime. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 12 Nov. 2026

The experience of that trip inspired him to enlist long-time collaborators Robert Mentov and Dwight Jantzi, with the trio returning to Myanmar two years later and capturing the training regime of young recruits of the People’s Defense Force. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Nov. 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.