Regime Is Now Almost Always Disapproving
A regime is a system of government. The word was once neutral, and it has become an accusation.
A regime is a system or period of government. Its tone has shifted decisively: the word is now used almost exclusively of governments the speaker disapproves of, and calling a democracy a regime signals hostility. The neutral sense survives in *regimen*, meaning a prescribed routine, and in *ancien régime* as a historical term.
- A system of government. *A military regime.*
- A prescribed routine. *A training regime.*
- Regimen — a prescribed course. *A drug regimen.*
- Ancien régime — pre-revolutionary France. *The ancien régime.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | regime | A repressive regime. |
| Plural | regimes | Successive regimes. |
| Related | regimen | A strict regimen. |
| Related | regiment | An infantry regiment. |
| Related | regent | A ruling regent. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Regime is now almost always disapproving.Governments one dislikes.
- A regimen is a prescribed routine.Medical or training.
- A regiment is a military unit.From the same root, meaning governed.
Regime, regimen, regiment
- Regime — a system of government, now usually pejorative
- Regimen — a prescribed course of treatment or exercise
- Regiment — a military unit under one command
- Regime change — the replacement of a government, often by outside force
- Ancien régime — the French monarchy before 1789
From French *régime*, from Latin *regimen*, a rule or system of government, from *regere*, to rule.
Is *regime* neutral?
Not any more. It now carries strong disapproval, and journalists use it deliberately to signal illegitimacy.
Regime or regimen?
Regime is a system of government. Regimen is a prescribed routine, especially in medicine or training.