republican

republican — noun

1. a person who believes the people of a country should pick their own leaders thro

1.nounB2
Definition

a person who believes the people of a country should pick their own leaders through elections rather than accept a ruler by birth.

Example

Zayd became a republican after studying how elected governments work in other countries.

countable noun: a + republican

The king ordered the arrest of known republicans who were meeting in secret.

plural noun: the + republicans

Common collocations
  • strong republican
  • committed republican
  • young republican
  • republican movement
Synonyms
  • anti-monarchist

    more specific — refers to someone actively opposed to monarchy rather than simply in favour of a republic

  • democrat

    broader — can refer to anyone who believes in democracy, not specifically anti-monarchy

Antonyms
  • monarchist

    someone who supports government by a king or queen

Grammar Patterns

a + republican

the + republicans

Usage Note

Lowercase (republican) refers to supporters of a republic in general. Capitalized (Republican) refers to the US political party — see sense 2 below.

Common Mistakes

Many Republicans in Japan celebrated the end of the emperor's political power.
Many republicans in Japan celebrated the end of the emperor's political power.
Use lowercase when referring to supporters of a republic, not the US party.

2. a person who belongs to or supports the Republican Party, one of the two main po

2.nounB2
Definition

a person who belongs to or supports the Republican Party, one of the two main political parties in the United States.

Example

Jenna has been a registered Republican for over fifteen years and campaigns every election season.

countable: a + registered Republican

The two Republicans on the committee voted against the tax increase proposed by the Democrats.

plural: the + Republicans

Common collocations
  • registered Republican
  • lifelong Republican
  • conservative Republican
  • moderate Republican
  • Republican senator
Synonyms
  • GOP member

    GOP stands for Grand Old Party, a common nickname for the Republican Party; slightly informal

  • conservative

    broader term — not all conservatives are Republicans, and not all Republicans are conservative

Antonyms
  • Democrat

    a member or supporter of the Democratic Party, the other major US political party

Grammar Patterns

a + Republican

the + Republicans

Usage Note

Always capitalized (Republican) when referring to the US political party to distinguish it from supporters of a republic in general (sense 1). The party is often referred to as the GOP (Grand Old Party).

Common Mistakes

She is a republican from Texas who supports the party's candidate.
She is a Republican from Texas who supports the party's candidate.
Capitalize when referring to the US political party.
The republican party supports lower taxes.
The Republican Party supports lower taxes.
'Republican Party' is a proper noun and must be capitalized.

3. someone in Northern Ireland who wants the region to leave the UK and unite with

3.nounC1
Definition

someone in Northern Ireland who wants the region to leave the UK and unite with the rest of Ireland.

Example

Unionists who want to stay in the UK and republicans who seek a united Ireland both signed the peace agreement.

contrastive pairing: unionists and republicans

João's neighbour is a well-known republican from Belfast who speaks at rallies about Irish reunification.

Common collocations
  • Irish republican
  • former republican
  • republican politician
  • republican community
Synonyms
  • Irish nationalist

    broader — can include those who seek unification through peaceful political means

  • nationalist

    more general — in Northern Ireland, often specifically refers to those who identify with Irish rather than British identity

Antonyms
  • unionist

    someone in Northern Ireland who believes the region should remain part of the United Kingdom

  • loyalist

    a strong, often militant unionist who is loyal to the British crown

Grammar Patterns

a + republican

the + republicans

Usage Note

In this sense 'republican' is usually lowercase. Frequently paired with or contrasted with 'unionist' or 'loyalist'. This sense carries strong historical and political associations with the conflict known as the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Common Mistakes

She is a Republican from Belfast who wants Northern Ireland to stay in the UK.
She is a republican from Belfast who wants Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland.
In the Northern Ireland context, republicans want unification with Ireland, not to stay in the UK, and the word is typically lowercase.

republican — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

In US politics, a Republican is a member or supporter of the Republican Party, which generally advocates for lower taxes, free markets, and a strong national defence. A Democrat supports the Democratic Party, which typically emphasises social programmes, regulation of business, and a larger role for government. The term 'conservative' describes a political outlook rather than a party — most Republicans are conservative, but not all conservatives are Republicans, and some Democrats hold conservative views on certain issues. An 'independent' is a voter who does not belong to either major party. For example: 'Mizuki is a Republican who voted for a conservative candidate in the primary, while her neighbour is a Democrat who leans conservative on trade policy.'

Republican ↗Democrat ↗conservative ↗independent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • form of government
  • system of government

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'republican' comes from the Latin phrase 'res publica', meaning 'public affair' or 'commonwealth' — a combination of 'res' (thing, affair) and 'publica' (public, of the people). It entered English in the 17th century through French 'républicain', during a period when Europeans were debating different forms of government. The sense referring to the US Republican Party developed in the 1850s when the party was founded.