republic
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a country that is governed by elected representatives and an elected leader, such as a president, instead of a king or queen.
A sovereign state in which supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
Simple“After the revolution, the country became a republic and elected its first president.”
In context“The transition from a constitutional monarchy to a federal republic required significant amendments to the nation's founding legal documents.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a specific region or province within a larger country that has its own government, common in places like Russia.
A constituent political unit or administrative division within certain federal states, notably used in the Russian Federation or the former Soviet Union.
Simple“The traveler visited several different republics during his trip across Central Asia.”
In context“The autonomous republic maintained its own legislative assembly while remaining a formal part of the larger federal union.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
the period of ancient Roman civilization when it was governed by elected officials before it became an empire.
The historical era of ancient Roman civilization beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom and ending with the establishment of the Roman Empire.
Simple“In history class, we learned how the Roman Republic was governed by the Senate.”
In context“Scholars often debate the exact moment when the institutions of the Republic finally collapsed under the weight of military dictatorship.”
Usage republic to get
“Iran has faced significant US sanctions since nearly the beginning of the Islamic Republic in 1979.”
“The Seri people, who live between the Sonoran Desert and the Gulf of California, have suffered terribly both under the Spanish colony of Mexico, and the independent republic.”
From Middle French republique (“republic”), from Latin rēspūblicā, from rēs (“thing”) + pūblica (“public”); hence literally “the public thing”.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.