REPUBLIC

democracy, republic, commonwealth

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

republic

(noun) a form of government whose head of state is not a monarch; “the head of state in a republic is usually a president”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

republic (plural republics)

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

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

One of the subdivisions constituting Russia. See oblast.

Proper noun

Republic

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

An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Marquette County, Michigan, United States.

A city in Christian County and Greene County, Missouri, United States.

A village in Seneca County, Ohio, United States.

An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States.

A small city, the county seat of Ferry County, Washington, United States.

An unincorporated community in Kanawha County, West Virginia, United States.

Source: Wiktionary

Re*pub"lic (r-pb"lk), n. Etym: [F. république, L. respublica commonwealth; res a thing, an affair + publicus, publica, public. See Real, a., and Public.]

1. Common weal. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

2. A state in which the sovereign power resides in the whole body of the people, and is exercised by representatives elected by them; a commonwealth. Cf. Democracy, 2.

Note: In some ancient states called republics the sovereign power was exercised by an hereditary aristocracy or a privileged few, constituting a government now distinctively called an aristocracy. In some there was a division of authority between an aristocracy and the whole body of the people except slaves. No existing republic recognizes an exclusive privilege of any class to govern, or tolerates the institution of slavery. Republic of letters, The collective body of literary or learned men.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition