Definition

Noun: 1. A politically organized body of people under a single government; a state; a commonwealth: This term refers to an independent political entity with its own government, territory, and population. It emphasizes the public affairs and governance of a community.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The ancient Roman res publica was the foundation of its political system.
  • The treaty was signed between two sovereign res publicae.
  • The philosopher wrote extensively on the ideal form of a res publica.

Advanced Usage

• The term res publica is a Latin phrase adopted into English, often used in formal, historical, or academic contexts to discuss the concept of the state, republic, or commonwealth, particularly with reference to its classical origins.
• It can be used to evoke the principles of public welfare and civic virtue associated with republican forms of government.

Variants and Related Words

• Republic (n): A form of government where power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected president rather than a monarch. This is the direct English derivative and most common equivalent.
  • France is a republic.
• Commonwealth (n): A traditional term for a political community founded for the common good; also used in the names of some states and territories.
  • the Commonwealth of Australia

Synonyms

• State: A nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.
• Nation: A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular state or territory.
• Country: A nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory.
• Body politic: The people of a nation, state, or society considered collectively as an organized group of citizens.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• The public thing: This is a direct translation of the Latin , sometimes used to explain the term's core meaning of matters concerning the people as a whole.

Noun

1. a politically organized body of people under a single government
   • the state has elected a new president
   • African nations
   • students who had come to the nation's capitol
   • the country's largest manufacturer
   • an industrialized land