Regency1. (n.) The office of ruler; rule; authority; government.
2. (a.) Especially, the office, jurisdiction, or dominion of a regent or vicarious ruler, or of a body of regents; deputed or vicarious government.
3. (n.) A body of men entrusted with vicarious government; as, a regency constituted during a king's minority, absence from the kingdom, or other disability.
Thesaurus Entries
absolute monarchy, aedileship, agency, agentship, archbishopric, archiepiscopacy, archiepiscopate, aristocracy, assignment, autarchy, authority, authorization, autocracy, autonomy, bishopric, brevet, care, chairmanship, chancellery, chancellorate, chancellorship, charge, chiefery, chiefry, chieftaincy, chieftainry, chieftainship, coalition government, colonialism, commission, commissioning, commitment, commonwealth, consignment, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, consulate, consulship, cure, deanery, delegated authority, delegation, democracy, deputation, devolution, devolvement, dictatorship, dictature, directorship, dominion rule, duarchy, duumvirate, dyarchy, embassy, emirate, empowerment, entrusting, entrustment, episcopacy, errand, executorship, exequatur, factorship, federal government, federation, feudal system, full power, garrison state, gerontocracy, governorship, headship, hegemony, heteronomy, hierarchy, hierocracy, home rule, jurisdiction, leadership, legation, license, lieutenancy, limited monarchy, lordship, magistracy, magistrateship, magistrature, mandate, martial law, masterdom, mastership, mastery, mayoralty, mayorship, meritocracy, metropolitanate, metropolitanship, militarism, military government, mission, mob rule, mobocracy, monarchy, neocolonialism, nobility, ochlocracy, office, oligarchy, pantisocracy, papacy, pashadom, pashalic, patriarchate, patriarchy, plenipotentiary power, police state, pontificality, pontificate, popedom, popehood, popeship, power of attorney, power to act, prefectship, prefecture, premiership, presidency, presidentship, prime-ministership, prime-ministry, princedom, princeship, principality, proconsulate, proconsulship, procuration, protectorate, protectorship, provostry, provostship, proxy, pure democracy, purview, rectorate, rectorship, regentship, representative democracy, representative government, republic, responsibility, ruling class, seigniory, self-determination, self-government, seneschalship, seneschalsy, sheikhdom, sheriffalty, sheriffcy, sheriffdom, shrievalty, social democracy, stratocracy, supervisorship, suzerainship, suzerainty, task, technocracy, thearchy, theocracy, totalitarian government, totalitarian regime, triarchy, tribunate, triumvirate, trust, trusteeship, tyranny, vicarious authority, vizierate, viziership, warrant, welfare state