- pronunciation:
- rih
puh
blihk
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
A republic is a country in which those who make the laws and run the government are elected by the people.
That country used to have a king, but now the country is a republic. |
| definition 2: |
The official names of many countries contain the word "Republic" if the country has a government which is elected by the people. Some countries, like the U.S., don't use the word "Republic" in their name even though they are republics.
The full name of the nation of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland. |
Republic comes from the Latin words,
res publica.
Res means "things" or "affairs."
Publica means "public."