1. ancien regime - Noun
2. Ancien regime - Proper noun
a political and social system that no longer governs (especially the system that existed in France before the French Revolution)
Source: WordNetFor the same reason that the Ancien Regime is thought to have an end but no beginning, the Revolution has a birth but no end. Francois Furet
Every revolution, bloody or not, has two phases. The first phase is defined by the struggle for freedom, the second by the struggle for power and revenge on the votaries of the ancien regime. Adam Michnik
In contrast to France under the ancien regime, agricultural reform was intensified in Denmark, civil rights were extended to the peasants, the finances of the Danish state were healthy, and there were no external or internal crises. Source: Internet
Stephen now anointed Pepin at Saint-Denis in a memorable ceremony that was evoked in the coronation rites of French kings until the end of the ancien regime in 1789. Source: Internet