What's the difference between regime and regimen?
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2+1. I was just wondering about "Loss of regimen" right now, because of this comic: theoatmeal.com/comics/working_home– JonikAug 25, 2010 at 20:40
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... that's what inspired me to ask this question :)– Noel MAug 25, 2010 at 20:48
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5 Answers
A regime usually refers to a system of government.
A regimen is a plan that one adheres to (i.e. regimented).
People misuse regime a lot of the time when they mean regimen, especially relating to diets.
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3Regime also has the meaning of a systematic plan (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regime) and regimen also has the meaning of system of government (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regimen). The difference is much more difficult to piece apart than what you are portraying. Aug 26, 2010 at 0:10
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Generally speaking, the two words have the same ultimate etymology, from Latin regimin, meaning “position of authority, direction, set of rules”. In many cases, either word can be used, and their meanings have substantial overlap:
regime
1 a : regimen1 b : a regular pattern of occurrence or action (as of seasonal rainfall) c : the characteristic behavior or orderly procedure of a natural phenomenon or process
2 a : mode of rule or management b : a form of government <a socialist regime> c : a government in power d : a period of ruleregimen
1 a : a systematic plan (as of diet, therapy, or medication) especially when designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient b : a regular course of action and especially of strenuous training <the daily regimen of athletes> 2 : government, rule 3 : regime 1c
The definitions reference each other in several places reflecting the substantial overlap in the two words’ meanings. However, the two words are frequently used differently, so let’s look at what collocates (frequent neighbor words) using the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA):
These words most commonly appear before regimen (function words like the excluded)
EXERCISE 116
TRAINING 109
TREATMENT 80
DAILY 65
WORKOUT 39
DRUG 38
FITNESS 36
STRICT 33
MEDICAL 24
Whereas these words commonly appear before regime:
MILITARY 449
COMMUNIST 383
IRAQI 232
AUTHORITARIAN 203
OLD 200
DEMOCRATIC 156
TALIBAN 145
CASTRO 139
NAZI 139
From these results we can see clearly that sense 2 of regime, the one having to do with government, is the most salient one for that word (at least when it is used with an attributive). However, if we look up the frequent collocates for regimen with regime, we do find some (albeit fewer) results:
EXERCISE 20
TRAINING 6
TREATMENT 9
DAILY 4
WORKOUT 6
DRUG 6
FITNESS 4
STRICT 8
MEDICAL 1
From this we can conclude that indeed the sense of regime meaning “a systematic plan” or “regular course of action” is also a current usage, and not one that merits criticism for being a “misuse”.
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1I'm glad @Robusto has just tickled this old question, which predates me joining ELU. This is an excellent clear and thorough answer, so I welcome the chance to upvote it in hopes that when future visitors see it, they'll be just a little bit more aware of there being more support for your/our position than there is for the (disappointingly, accepted) answer with that drivel about People misuse regime a lot of the time when they mean regimen (I'll go lie down now until my enraged apoplexy subsides! :) Jan 25, 2013 at 1:47
In US English,
'a regime change' is, for example, a coup/junta/putsch in a government
'a regimen change' is, for example, eating more yogurt.
'Regimen' is all but unheard of in Australian English either. We use 'regime', whether it's exercise, diet, military or government contexts.
The word regimen is all but unheard of in the UK and British English.
Regime is the correct term in the UK in all contexts.
