ancien regime: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, academic, historical, political
Quick answer
What does “ancien regime” mean?
The political and social system of France before the Revolution of 1789, characterized by absolute monarchy, feudal privileges, and a rigid class structure.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The political and social system of France before the Revolution of 1789, characterized by absolute monarchy, feudal privileges, and a rigid class structure.
By extension, any old, outdated, or overthrown system of government, administration, or social order that is perceived as obsolete, unjust, or resistant to change.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Slightly more frequent in British academic and historical writing due to closer European historical ties, but widely understood and used in American contexts.
Connotations
Equally strong historical and negative connotations in both variants.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech; primarily found in historical, political, and sociological texts.
Grammar
How to Use “ancien regime” in a Sentence
[The/Our/This] ancien régime [verb: collapsed/was overthrown/had ended]under the ancien régimeof the ancien régimea return to the ancien régimeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “ancien regime” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The reforms sought to ancien-régime-proof the new constitution.
- (Note: Extremely rare and non-standard as a verb)
American English
- (Not used as a verb in standard English)
adverb
British English
- (Not used as an adverb)
American English
- (Not used as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- He had an ancien-régime mentality, believing in inherited privilege.
- The ancien-régime aristocracy fled the country.
American English
- She dismissed the policy as an ancien-régime approach to governance.
- The building's architecture was decidedly ancien régime.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorically used to describe a deeply entrenched, traditional, and resistant corporate culture or management hierarchy (e.g., 'The new CEO vowed to dismantle the financial ancien régime').
Academic
Central term in historical studies of 18th-century Europe; used in political science to analyse system change and revolution.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used metaphorically and humorously to refer to any outdated setup (e.g., 'My dad's record collection is part of the family ancien régime').
Technical
Used precisely to denote the specific socio-political structure of France pre-1789, including its institutions like the Estates-General, parlements, and seigneurial rights.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “ancien regime”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “ancien regime”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “ancien regime”
- Misspelling: 'ancien regime' (missing accent), 'ancien regieme'. Mispronouncing 'régime' as /ri:'dʒaɪm/. Using it for any old government, rather than one specifically replaced by revolutionary change.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. Its core historical meaning is France pre-1789. However, it is commonly used as a metaphor for any similarly outdated and overthrown system (e.g., 'the Soviet ancien régime').
No. The term carries a strong connotation of the system being not just old, but fundamentally obsolete, unjust, and swept away by a decisive break (like a revolution). A long-standing democracy would not be called an ancien régime.
Because it is a borrowed historical term of art. Keeping the French spelling signals its specific origin and meaning, distinguishing it from a generic 'old regime'.
English speakers typically attempt an approximation of the French: /ˌɒ̃.sjæ̃ reɪˈʒiːm/ (UK) or /ˌɑ̃n.sjæn reɪˈʒiːm/ (US). The critical parts are the nasal 'an' sound and the final 'régime' pronounced as 'ray-zheem'.
The political and social system of France before the Revolution of 1789, characterized by absolute monarchy, feudal privileges, and a rigid class structure.
Ancien regime is usually formal, academic, historical, political in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a bastion of the ancien régime”
- “the last gasp of the ancien régime”
- “sweep away the ancien régime”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: ANCIEN = ANCIENT. RÉGIME = REGIME. An ANCIENT REGIME that was overthrown.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIETY/STATE IS A BUILDING (that is crumbling); CHANGE IS A STORM/CLEANSING FLOOD (that sweeps it away).
Practice
Quiz
In a modern political article, calling a government an 'ancien régime' most likely implies it is: