Definition of republicnext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of republic And if Ukraine were to fall, other nearby nations — like Poland and former Soviet Union republics — would be under threat of Moscow’s aggression, Jaresko added. Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026 For having arrived before Texas was Texas, the new republic bestowed upon Smith a land grant of a league and a labor, about 4,605 acres, in 1838. Jhair Romero, Houston Chronicle, 24 Feb. 2026 Even in the cool light, away from the magnetism of his personality, it should be remembered that not only the small South Carolina city of his birth but this republic itself was defined as an exclusively white enterprise. Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026 The republic has been ruled by clerics since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Max Burman, NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for republic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for republic
democracy
Noun
  • Within steps of one another, the law, the press and the community converged to bend the arc of American democracy.
    Alvin C. Hathaway Sr, Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb. 2026
  • The Ocoee Massacre teaches us that democracy is fragile — and that silence is complicity.
    Debbie Deland, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Republic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/republic. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

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