republicanism

noun

re·​pub·​li·​can·​ism ri-ˈpə-bli-kə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce republicanism (audio)
1
: adherence to or sympathy for a republican form of government
2
: the principles or theory of republican government
3
capitalized
a
: the principles, policy, or practices of the Republican party of the U.S.
b
: the Republican party or its members

Examples of republicanism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Labour’s historical aversion to republicanism is also somewhat ideological in nature. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 5 May 2023 Burrowing himself in 18th-century source materials, Dr. Bailyn used pre-revolutionary political pamphlets to portray the colonists as deeply principled and driven by radical ideas about republicanism and liberty in the face of encroaching British power. John Otis, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2020 She and her sisters were raised in no faith except that of republicanism and socialism. Lauren Elkin, Washington Post, 16 May 2023 Unlike America’s renowned Declaration of Independence, which lays out a detailed philosophical argument for self-governance, republicanism, and natural rights, Israel’s has long been seen as little more than a pragmatic statement of intent. Bobby Miller, National Review, 29 Apr. 2023 Barbados first pursued the idea of republicanism in the late 1970s and in 2008 proposed to hold a referendum on the issue, but the date was pushed back indefinitely. NBC News, 29 Nov. 2021 But after Diana’s sudden, violent death in Paris in 1997, Britain was wracked with turbulence, uncertainty and incipient republicanism. Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2022 Still, the political mode of constitutionalism runs even deeper than judgments about the behavior of our leaders, toward a notion of a society’s laws and constitution envisioned by classical political philosophy and by the traditions of civic republicanism. Yuval Levin, National Review, 17 Sep. 2020 Sandel, by contrast, is committed to civic republicanism, a creed extending all the way back to Aristotle, who taught that the higher purpose of a political order (the baser one being self-serving commerce) involved the search for the good life. Win McCormack, The New Republic, 23 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'republicanism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1685, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of republicanism was in 1685

Dictionary Entries Near republicanism

Cite this Entry

“Republicanism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/republicanism. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

republicanism

noun
re·​pub·​li·​can·​ism ri-ˈpəb-li-kə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce republicanism (audio)
1
: support or desire for a republican form of government
2
: the principles or ideas of republican government
3
capitalized : the principles, policy, or practices of the Republican party of the U.S.

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