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Reich - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Borrowed from German Reich (“empire, realm”). Doublet of Raj.

Reich

  1. A German empire, kingdom or nation; its territory or government.

    • 1762, A[nton] F[riedrich] Busching, “Introduction to the Description of Germany”, in [Patrick Murdoch], transl., A New System of Geography: In Which Is Given, a General Account of the Situation and Limits, the Manners, History, and Constitution, of the Several Kingdoms and States in the Known World; […], volumes IV (Containing, Part of Germany, viz. Bohemia, Moravia, Lusatia, Austria, Burgundy, Westphalia, and the Circle of the Rhine), London: […] A[ndrew] Millar […], →OCLC, page 4:

      The Empire is differently denominated as well by Germans themſelves as by others. It is called the Reich, in Latin Regnum, by way of eminence, as alſo the German Reich, in Latin Regnum Germanicum. The appellation of Germany, is ſeldom uſed now-a-days any where but in the title of the Emperor and Elector of Mentz.

  2. (in particular) The Third Reich; Nazi Germany.

    • 2016, Colin Philpott, Relics of the Reich: The Buildings The Nazis Left Behind:

    • 2017, Gerhard Engel, At the Heart of the Reich: The Secret Diary of Hitler's Army Adjutant:

    • 2019, Peter Finn, A Guest of the Reich: The Story of American Heiress Gertrude Legendre:

  3. (chiefly derogatory) Any empire, especially one that is imperialist, tyrannical, and/or racist.

    • 1936, The American Mercury, volumes 38-39, page 367:

      And so his fine words — they are excellent within these limitations — must be husbanded exclusively against foes of the Russian Reich. Nevertheless, he too turns his back on the past with a will. . . . God knows how far the Tolstoian talent […]

    • 1943, Owen Joseph Christoffer Norem, Timeless Lithuania, page 280:

      Mr. Ycas, one of their members, told me that a serious attempt was made to strike for total independence but that the majority felt it was the wise course to ask for autonomy within the Russian Reich. A Lithuanian National Council was formed.

    • 1943, Francis A. Ridley, Towards the British Revolution, page 15:

      Did not Oliver Cromwell, the founder of the British Reich, boast that hanging Irishmen always gave him an excellent appetite? Yet who could deny that he was a political and military genius? One should always compare Imperialisms […]

    • 2000, Keith Grint, The Arts of Leadership, page 161:

      Frere, obviously keen to start the thousand-year civilizing mission of the British Reich as soon as possible, invited Cetshwayo to a meeting in December 1878.

    • 2015, Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, page 226:

      […] we are presenting our analysis of the place and significance of the remote war technology within the American Reich.

    • 2017, Madhavan K. Palat, India and the World in the First Half of the Twentieth Century:

      NATO and the European Union, both led by America, embody that purpose. It preserves the sovereignty of the member states, but ultimate sovereignty rests with the American Reich and all the states willingly coordinate their policies with and subordinate themselves to American leadership.

    • 2021, Steven Best, “Failed species”, in Romanian Journal of Artistic Creativity, volume 9, number 2:

      The Human Reich over nature is inherently flawed, catastrophically overextended, and soon to fall on its own sword.

    • 2023 October 24, Thomas W. Murphy, “Our Ugly Magnificence”, in Do the Math‎[1] (blog):

      The Human Reich is a fundamentally flawed bit of imagination that can never be realized, as we critically depend on an intact ecology.

  • While Germany could only be referred to as the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 when it was under the rule of an emperor (Kaiser), the term “German Reich” describes Germany until 1945.

a German empire or nation

Reich

  1. A surname from German.
  • According to the 2010 United States Census, Reich is the 2,796th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 12,891 individuals. Reich is most common among White (93.85%) individuals.
This entry needs quotations to illustrate usage. If you come across any interesting, durably archived quotes then please add them!

From Middle High German rîche (“empire, kingdom, realm”, noun). Cognate with German Reich.

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Reich n (plural Reicha)

  1. empire or significant State
  2. realm (also e.g. of plants)

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

From Middle High German riche, from Old High German rīhhi (“power, might, empire”), from Proto-West Germanic *rīkī, from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją, itself either a substantivised *rīkijaz (“rich, mighty”) (whence also German reich (“rich”)), or a direct borrowing from a Celtic language; compare Old Irish ríge (“rule, kingship”).[1]

Cognates include Old English rīċe (“kingdom, empire”) (obsolete rike), Dutch rijk (“empire, realm”), West Frisian ryk, Danish rige (“empire, realm”), Swedish rike, Icelandic ríki, Lithuanian rikis (“military commander, ruler”), and Sanskrit राज्य (rājyá, “royalty, kingship, sovereignty, empire”).

Reich n (strong, genitive Reiches or Reichs, plural Reiche)

  1. empire or significant State

    • 1868, Wilhelm Hoffmann, Deutschland einst und jetzt im Lichte des Reiches Gottes:

  2. realm (also e.g. of plants)

Reich n

  1. the Holy Roman Empire, the First Reich

    • 2006, Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger, Das Heilige Römische Reich Deutscher Nation, page 81:

  2. the Deutsche Reich
    1. the (Deutsche) Kaiserreich, the Second Reich (1871–1918)
    2. the Weimar Republic (official name, 1919–1933)
    3. the Third Reich (1933–1945)

      • 1969, Gerhard Eisenblätter, Grundlinien der Politik des Reiches gegenüber dem Generalgouvernement, 1939-1945:

Reich m or f (proper noun, surname, masculine genitive Reichs or (with an article) Reich, feminine genitive Reich, plural Reichs)

  1. a surname
  1. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003) A Handbook of Germanic etymology, Leiden & Boston: Brill, page 305

Unadapted borrowing from German Reich. Doublet of rzesza.

  • IPA(key): /ˈrajx/
  • Rhymes: -ajx
  • Syllabification: Reich

Reich m inan

  1. (colloquial) Germany (a country in Central Europe)
    Synonym: Niemcy
  • Reich in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Borrowed from German Reich (“realm”).

Reich m (plural Reichs)

  1. Reich (territory of a German empire or nation)

Borrowed from German Reich (“realm”).

  • IPA(key): /ˈraix/ [ˈrai̯x]
  • Rhymes: -aix
  • Syllabification: Reich

Reich m (plural Reichs)

  1. Reich (territory of a German empire or nation)