reich

n. a name for Germany during the time it was ruled by the Nazi party (1933–1945).

n. a designation for the German state during the National Socialist era, specifically referred to as the Third Reich.

“Many history books focus on the fall of the Reich at the end of the war.”

“The documentary examines the internal power struggles that plagued the Reich during the final months of the conflict in Europe.”

Formal

n. a German empire or kingdom from history.

n. any of the historical German empires, such as the Holy Roman Empire or the German Empire of 1871–1918.

“Historians often compare the first German Reich to the second one.”

“The transition from a collection of small states to a unified Reich changed the balance of power in nineteenth-century Europe.”

Academic · Formal

n. a word used to describe a government or organization that is very cruel, controlling, or racist.

n. a derogatory term for an imperialist, tyrannical, or authoritarian regime or organization.

“The protesters compared the new corporate rules to a cruel reich.”

“Critics of the administration's new surveillance policy described the agency as a digital reich that ignored personal privacy.”

Informal · Slang