ancien régime*: Meaning and Definition of

an•cien ré•gime

Pronunciation: (än-syan rā-zhēm'), [key]
— pl. an•ciens ré•gimes
  1. the political and social system of France before the revolution of 1789.
  2. the system of government during this period.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.