republic

The word “republic” means a country governed by elected representatives and a head of state who is not a monarch. In plain terms, a country run by elected leaders rather than a king or queen.

“Republic” is pronounced rih-PUHB-lihk (/ɹɪˈpʌb.lɪk/ in IPA).

Here is “republic” used in a sentence: “France became a republic after the revolution abolished the monarchy.”

“Republic” is a noun.

The word “republic” comes from Latin. From Latin res publica, literally "the public thing," via Middle French republique.

“Republic” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Republic” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a country governed by elected representatives and a head of state who is not a monarch.

The terms overlap but describe different things. A republic is a state with no monarch, led by an elected or appointed head of state rather than a king or queen. A democracy is a system where power rests with the people through voting. A country can be both, but the words emphasise different features.

The key difference is the head of state. In a republic, the head of state is elected or appointed, usually a president, and holds office for a set term. In a monarchy, the head of state is a king or queen who inherits the position and usually keeps it for life.

The United States, France, India, Germany, and Ireland are all republics, each led by a president rather than a monarch. They vary widely in structure — some presidents hold real power, others are largely ceremonial — but none has a king or queen as head of state, which is what defines a republic.

Common types include presidential republics, where an elected president leads the government, and parliamentary republics, where a prime minister governs and the president is mostly ceremonial. Others are federal republics, made up of self-governing states, or unitary ones ruled centrally. The shared feature is an elected head of state, not a monarch.