as in democracy
government in which the supreme power is held by the people and used by them directly or indirectly through representation
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"
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Recent Examples of republic
Even some ultra-secularists, who saw in Erdoğan a betrayal of the Turkish republic, sided with the president, celebrating his iron fist against Kurdish activists and lawmakers.
—
Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
The republic is already dead morally, economically, and socially.
—Shahrnush Parsipur, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
His family is part of the country's tiny Parsi minority, the descendants of Persian Zoroastrians — a significant factor in their ability to operate a successful brewery in an Islamic republic for three generations.
—Betsy Joles, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
The nation was to be purged of continual sin not indeed all of its own doing—due partly to its inheritance; and yet a sin, a negation that gave the world the right to sneer at the pretensions of this republic.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for republic
Kaya Genç, The Dial, 3 Feb. 2026
The republic is already dead morally, economically, and socially.
—Shahrnush Parsipur, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
His family is part of the country's tiny Parsi minority, the descendants of Persian Zoroastrians — a significant factor in their ability to operate a successful brewery in an Islamic republic for three generations.
—Betsy Joles, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026
The nation was to be purged of continual sin not indeed all of its own doing—due partly to its inheritance; and yet a sin, a negation that gave the world the right to sneer at the pretensions of this republic.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for republic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for republic
democracy
Noun
-
Threat to democracy Bishop Anthony Taylor's recent Facebook post and its coverage in Wednesday's Arkansas Gazette-Democrat greatly impressed me.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Every day augurs some new threat—to democracy, to decency.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Republic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/republic. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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