republic

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a form of government whose head of state is not a monarch

   the head of state in a republic is usually a president

2. 2
   noun

   A state where sovereignty rests with the people or their representatives, rather than with a monarch or emperor; a country with no monarchy.

   The United States is a republic; Norway is a constitutional monarchy.

3. 3
   noun

   A state, which may or may not be a monarchy, in which the executive and legislative branches of government are separate.

   Republicanism is the political principle of the separation of the executive power (the administration) from the legislative; despotism is that of the autonomous execution by the state of laws which it has itself decreed.[…]Therefore, we can say: the smaller the personnel of the government (the smaller the number of rulers), the greater is their representation and the more nearly the constitution approaches to the possibility of republicanism; thus the constitution may be expected by gradual reform finally to raise itself to republicanism[…]. None of the ancient so-called "republics" knew this system, and they all finally and inevitably degenerated into despotism under the sovereignty of one, which is the most bearable of all forms of despotism.

4. 4
   noun

   One of the subdivisions constituting Russia. See oblast.

   The Republic of Udmurtia is west of the Permian Oblast.

5. 5
   name

   The Roman Republic.

   The general adoption of the system for all free men came towards the end of the Republic.

6. 6
   noun

   a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

7. 7
   noun

   One of the subdivisions that made up the former Yugoslavia.

8. 8
   name

   A small city in Republic County, Kansas, United States.

Etymology

From Middle French republique (“republic”), from Latin rēspūblicā, from rēs (“thing”) + pūblica (“public”); hence literally “the public thing”.