Meanings
- uncountableThe common good, as identified with the wider state; the commonwealth, the body politic.
At the same time the Roman-barbarian regna distinguished themselves from the res publica.
1997, Herwig Wolfram, The Roman Empire and its Germanic Peoples, page 1901 more example
There was no question as yet of republicanism being on the agenda, other than in the old, weak sense of a res publica or commonwealth to which both ruler and ruled owed allegiance.
2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin, published 2003, page 402
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna politically organized body of people under a single government
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinrēs pūblica
- Englishres publica
Unadapted borrowing from Latin rēs pūblica. Doublet of republic.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
res publica. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20publica
“res publica.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20publica. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “res publica,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/res%20publica.
Source: res publica on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.