republican

/rɪˈpʌblɪkɪn/

/rəˈpʌblɪkən/

Other forms: republicans

The adjective republican describes a government made up of representatives who are elected by the citizens. If you live in the United States, you’re part of a republican system of government.

In a republican government, citizens have a lot of power — their vote determines who is running the government. The word republican has a noun and an adjective form. The noun is for a person who supports that style of government, and the adjective describes something with those characteristics. But if you see republican with a capital letter “r” — Republican — then that refers to a member of the Republican Party.

Definitions of republican

1. adjective

   having the supreme power lying in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them or characteristic of such government
   “"the United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government"- United States Constitution”

   “a very republican notion”

   “"so little republican and so much aristocratic sentiment"- Philip Marsh”

   “"our republican and artistic simplicity"-Nathaniel Hawthorne”

   synonyms:

   democratic

   characterized by or advocating or based upon the principles of democracy or social equality
2. noun

   an advocate of a republic (usually in opposition to a monarchy)
   types:

   sans-culotte

   a lower-class radical republican during the French Revolution

   type of:

   advocate, advocator, exponent, proponent

   a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
3. adjective

   relating to or belonging to the Republican Party