Difference Between Regime and Rule

Regime vs Rule

Regime and Rule are two words that are often confused due the similarity in their meanings. Actually there is some difference in the usage of the two words. A regime is a method or a system of government. On the other hand a rule directly refers to a government or dominion. This is the main difference between regime and rule.

The word ‘regime’ is sometimes used to refer to a particular order or system of things. It is defined as the conditions under which a scientific or industrial process occurs. It is interesting to note that the word ‘regime’ is derived from the Latin ‘regere’ which means rule.

On the other hand the word ‘rule’ is often used in connection with the administration of a king or a monarch as in the expression ‘the rule of Nepoleon the Great’ and the like. In the expression given above the word ‘rule’ is used in the sense of ‘governance’ or ‘administration’.

On the other hand the word ‘regime’ is to be understood in the sense of ‘the form of governance’. The form of governance can be federal republic, democracy, monarchy or dictatorship. The usage of the word ‘regime’ can be observed in the sentence ‘the regime in the country is democratic in nature’.

It is important to know that the word ‘rule’ is used in other senses too. Sometimes it is used in the sense of law made by a judge or court. It is also used in the sense of a kind of scale used in the art of carpentry. On a few occasions it is used to suggest a code of discipline laid by a religious order. On the other hand the word ‘regime’ is not used in any other sense for that matter.