re ‧ pub ‧ lic W2 BrE AmE , Republic /rɪˈpʌblɪk/ noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: French ; Origin: république , from Latin respublica , from res 'thing' + publica 'public' ]
a country governed by elected representatives of the people, and led by a president, not a king or queen ⇨ democracy , monarchy :
the former Federal Republic of Germany
Nine republics took part in the referendum.
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THESAURUS
▪ government [uncountable and countable] the group of people who govern a country or the system they use to govern it:
The French government did not sign the agreement.
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a democratic system of government
▪ administration [countable] the government of a country, especially one such as the US, which is led by a president:
the Kennedy administration
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the problems left by the previous adminstration
▪ regime [countable] a government, especially one that was not elected fairly or that you disapprove of:
Most people opposed the apartheid regime.
▪ the executive [singular] the part of the government that makes sure that laws and decisions work well:
the separation of powers between the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary
▪ democracy [uncountable and countable] a political system in which everyone can vote to choose the government, or a country that has this system:
The transition to democracy has not been easy.
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In a democracy, people have freedom of speech.
▪ republic [countable] a country that has an elected government, and is led by a president, not a king or queen:
Mauritius became a republic in 1992.
▪ monarchy [uncountable and countable] /ˈmɒnəki $ ˈmɑːnərki/ the system of having a king or queen as the head of state, or a country that has this system:
Some monarchies have elected governments.
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controversy about the institution of monarchy