re·pub·li·can
ri-ˈpə-bli-kən 
plural republicans
1
Republican plural Republicans
a
: a member of the Republican Party of the U.S. : a member of one of the two major political parties in the U.S. that is usually associated with reduced taxation, with limited government regulation of business, finance, industry, education, and policing, with strong national defense, and with opposition to abortion, affirmative action, gun control, and policies and laws that are viewed as challenging traditional social and family hierarchies and structure
Note: Republicans are associated with conservatism and the political Right (see right entry 2 sense 7a). The Republican Party is frequently referred to as the GOP, which stands for "Grand Old Party."
compare democrat
b
in U.S. history
: a member of the Democratic-Republican Party of the U.S.
2
chiefly British
a
: one that favors or supports a republican (see republican entry 2 sense 2a) form of government
For decades, a debate has raged in Britain, pitting republicans, who wish to do away with the royal family, against monarchists and others who support them.—
Mary Pflum
Mary Pflum
b
Republican plural Republicans
: one who favors or supports the joining of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland into a single republic
1
Republican
a
: of, relating to, or constituting the one of the two major political parties in the U.S. that is usually associated with reduced taxation, with limited government regulation of business, finance, industry, education, and policing, with strong national defense, and with opposition to abortion, affirmative action, gun control, and policies and laws that are viewed as challenging traditional social and family hierarchies and structure
a Republican governor/senator
Republican voters
Republican leadership
members of the Republican Party
b
in U.S. history
: democratic-republican
2
a
or less commonly Republican
: of or relating to a republic (see republic sense 1a) rather than to a monarchy, tyranny, oligarchy, etc.
especially
: organized so that governing power belongs to a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by the leaders and representatives elected by those citizens to govern according to law
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government … —U.S. Constitution
U.S. Constitution … the true source of danger to republican government. Whatever may be tolerated in monarchical and despotic governments, no republic is safe that tolerates a privileged class, or denies to any of its citizens equal rights and equal means to maintain them. —Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
b
: favoring, supporting, or advocating a form of government in which representatives are elected
He [Thomas Jefferson] had been amazed, on first arriving at New York, to hear, in government circles, so little republican and so much aristocratic sentiment …—Philip Marsh
Philip Marsh"… The republican institutions of our country have produced simpler and happier manners than those which prevail in the great monarchies that surround it. Hence there is less distinction between the several classes of its inhabitants. … A servant in Geneva does not mean the same thing as a servant in France and England. …"—Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
c
Republican chiefly British
: favoring or supporting the joining of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland into a single republic
d
dated
: belonging or appropriate to one living in or supporting a republic (see republic sense 1)
Horse-RACING is not a republican institution; horse-TROTTING is. Only very rich persons can keep race-horses, and everybody knows they are kept mainly as gambling implements.—Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell HolmesSynonyms
Examples of republican in a Sentence
Noun
Our state representative is a Republican.
The state's voters are mostly Republicans.
Adjective
the leader of the Republican Party
a small but well-organized republican movement working quietly to overthrow the military dictatorship
Recent Examples on the Web
Carmela Guaglianone, Detroit Free Press, 16 June 2024
The political bombers were a diverse bunch: socialist agitators, Russian nihilists, Irish republicans, German saboteurs.
—Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
In closed-door meetings, House Speaker Mike Johnson was nominated for the role for his first full term, and Republican senators selected Sen. John Thune to be their next leader.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for republican 
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Noun
The three-day event touted a roster of big name republicans, including Donald Trump Jr., U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and Trump’s former Chief of Staff, Steve Bannon.
—Carmela Guaglianone, Detroit Free Press, 16 June 2024
The political bombers were a diverse bunch: socialist agitators, Russian nihilists, Irish republicans, German saboteurs.
—Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024
Adjective
Brendan evokes the Irish Republican tradition of self-sacrifice, while Gerry embodies a new attitude geared towards self-preservation.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
In closed-door meetings, House Speaker Mike Johnson was nominated for the role for his first full term, and Republican senators selected Sen. John Thune to be their next leader.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for republican
Dictionary Entries Near republican
Cite this Entry
“Republican.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republican. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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republican
1 of 2 adjective
re·pub·li·can
ri-ˈpəb-li-kən
1
a
: of, relating to, or resembling a republic
b
: favoring or supporting a republic
2
capitalized
b
: of, relating to, or being one of the two major political parties in the U.S.
republican
2 of 2 noun1
: one that favors or supports a republican form of government
2
capitalized
a
: a member of a political party favoring republicanism
b
: a member of the Democratic-Republican party or of the Republican party of the U.S.
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