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Technically the word "regime" (occasionally spelled "régime", particularly in older texts) refers to any system of control, or more specifically a system of government, but in English language it has become a largely pejorative synonym for " government" or " administration", implying moral disapproval and/or political opposition.
Thus one can speak of "the vicious oppressive regime of Borduria"; but seldom of "the regime in Washington" or of "the current Blair regime".
Compare: Ancien régime, Bush regime, Vichy regime, regime change
A less pejorative usage occurs in set phrases such as exercise regime or medical regime. Compare regimen .
In science, a regime can mean a particular state of affairs where a particular physical phenomenon or boundary condition is significant, such as "the superfluid regime" or "the steady state regime".