Regime

How to spell regime

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce regime

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does regime mean?

1. nounA government or system of rule, especially one regarded as authoritarian or imposed.
2. nounA prescribed, regulated system of diet, exercise, or treatment.

Regime in a sentence

• The new regime closed the borders within days of taking power.

• Her doctor recommended a strict regime of rest and light exercise.

• Journalists were arrested for criticising the military regime.

• The athletes follow a demanding training regime all winter.

Where does regime come from?

Language of origin: French

This word travelled into English from French, where régime meant a system of government or a method of management. The French form descends from the Latin regimen, meaning 'rule, guidance, or steering', which was built on the verb regere, 'to rule, to direct, or to keep straight'. That same regere root spreads widely through English in relatives such as regiment, regent, regular, regulate, and even royal, all carrying the idea of ordered control. English first adopted the word in the late fifteenth century, and it was reinforced again in the eighteenth century through French political writing, which is why it kept the French spelling and the soft 'zh' sound in the middle. The spelling trap lies precisely there: the ending is -ime, pronounced 'eem', and the 'g' is soft, so writers who spell by ear can stumble.

How the word is built

• reg- (from regere: to rule, direct)
• -ime (noun ending via French)