Republic of letters
(gcide) | Republic \Re*pub"lic\ (r?-p?b"l?k), n. [F. r['e]publique, L.
respublica commonwealth; res a thing, an affair + publicus,
publica, public. See Real, a., and Public.]
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1. Common weal. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
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2. A state in which the sovereign power resides in the whole
body of the people, and is exercised by representatives
elected by them; a commonwealth. Cf. Democracy, 2.
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Note: In some ancient states called republics the sovereign
power was exercised by an hereditary aristocracy or a
privileged few, constituting a government now
distinctively called an aristocracy. In some there was
a division of authority between an aristocracy and the
whole body of the people except slaves. No existing
republic recognizes an exclusive privilege of any class
to govern, or tolerates the institution of slavery.
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Republic of letters, The collective body of literary or
learned men.
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