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

Only 32 percent of the city voted, in part because the regime had pre-vetted the candidates, purging older lawmakers from the ballots who had connections to the system that predated Beijing’s clampdown of the city in 2020. —Timothy McLaughlin, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2025

Vigil said that an uncontrolled collapse could unleash something far more dangerous than the current regime. —Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

After the fall of the Assad regime, opposition leader Ahmed al-Sharaa took the reins of Syria’s government. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2025

If the technologies that define the future are instead developed under adversarial regimes, the United States risks dependence on foreign powers not only for products but for strategic capabilities. —Gary Locke, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025

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.