Regimen: Is It Synonymous with Regime?

Regimen is the word we use when we want to say “a plan” or “a set of rules.” It can also be used to say “government,” in the same way the word regime can be used. Regime can also be used to say “a set of rules” or “a plan,” which makes the two words interchangeable to an extent. However, regimen is usually used for the meaning that has to do with planning, and regime is used for the meaning that has to do with government.

Sometimes, we have to follow some rules or plans we don’t particularly like if we want to achieve something. If we’re not very fond of working out, but still want to be toned and in shape, we can devise a workout plan and follow it. If we have to take better care of ourselves and mind our eating habits, we can devise a meal plan and stick to it—even if it means no sweets. Sometimes, when we’re in bad health, we need to follow a course of treatment to get better. What do we call all of these courses, plans, and rules? Regimens.

What Is a Regimen?

Regimen is a Latin word that was adopted by English without any intermediary languages. It’s original Latin meaning is “government” and “rule.” In modern times, we mostly use it when we want to talk about medical, dietary, or training regimens—plans or courses of action people repeat with regularity.

A regimen can also be a rule, a set of policies, or an observed rule of behavior of a natural phenomenon. Dictionaries also list “government” as one of the meanings of regimen, even though it’s rarely used in that way.

Are Regimen and Regime Synonyms?

Regime is a word that, although it entered through Old French, has the same Latin root as regimen. It should not come as a surprise, then, that the two words share some of the same meanings. Regime can be a specific government, a type of government, or a period of government. Regime can also mean a set of specific rules and policies or something that happens in a pattern or with regularity. In those senses, it can be said that regimen and regime are synonyms.

Whether you use them as such is completely up to you, but keep in mind—regimen is not commonly used when speaking about government. And if you say that you’re on a dietary regime, you might confuse someone who only uses regime in the government sense.

Examples of Regimen

The conventional treatment regimen for MDR-TB is extremely complex.
—The Huffington Post

Diet goes hand in hand with a strict training regimen.
—Vogue

Paired with his medications, the regimen improved Jaden’s symptoms.
—Fox News

Technology requires a whole restraint regimen to keep us from shredding our attention and losing our ability to do focused work––the only kind of work that creates brilliant arguments or true art.
—The Atlantic

Examples of Regime

The proposed regime will allow high-risk terrorist offenders to be held beyond their sentence.
—The Conversation

Battles near the Castello road have intensified since last week even as the regime announced a cease-fire on July 6 that was extended twice.
—The Wall Street Journal

New Zealand’s foreign trust regime came under the spotlight following revelations in the so-called Panama Papers about wealthy overseas tycoons hiding their wealth in New Zealand-based trusts.
—Stuff

The regime reigns over its citizens using repression and violence to rule through fear.
—The Huffington Post

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from Grammarly Blog
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/regimen/