I. rə̇ˈpəblik, rēˈp-, -lēk noun
( -s )
Etymology: French république, from Middle French republique, from Latin respublica, res publica, from res thing, fact, matter + publica, feminine of publicus public — more at real , public
1. obsolete : commonweal , state
2.
a.
(1) : a government characterized by having a chief of state who is not a monarch and who in modern times is usually a president
(2) : a political unit (as a nation or state) having such a form of government
the republic of England, Scotland, and Ireland under Oliver Cromwell — E.E.Reynolds
the republics of South America have been the happy hunting ground of dictators — L.A.Mills
the ancient Roman republic
b.
(1) : a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law : representative democracy
(2) : a political unit (as a nation or state) having such a form of government
pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands — Francis Bellamy
the German people … by creating a federal republic resting upon a democratic constitution — U.S. Code
c. : a usually specified republican government of a political unit
France's republics are numbered … consecutively — Times Literary Supplement
the Fourth Republic
3.
a. : a community of beings that resembles in organization a political republic and is usually characterized by a general equality among members
a curious republic of industrious hornets — M.G.J.deCrèvecoeur
b. : a body of persons freely engaged in a specified activity
the republic of art
the republic of letters
4. : an organization modeled after a junior republic
establish a boys' republic in this state — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News
5. : a constituent political and territorial unit of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Yugoslavia
our visits to four of the republics of Yugoslavia — G.E.Shipler
the Ukraine and the other republics within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics — Bogdan Raditsa
II. adjective
also republical
Etymology: republic from republic (I) ; republical from republic (I) + -al
obsolete : republican 1
the republic cities … of Greece — Roger Boyle
devoted to the … republical party — Edward Hyde