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The word "regime" (occasionally spelled "régime", particularly in older texts) refers to any system of control, or more specifically a system of government. It is frequently used to describe a government headed by a specific person ("the Saddam regime", or "the Salazar regime") or based on a particular ideology ("a communist" regime", "a fascist regime", or "a military regime"). In theory, the word "regime" need not imply anything about the type of government described, and most political scientists use it as a neutral term. Some people, however, use the term only for governments which they believe to be repressive or undemocratic, and as such, some see the word as conveying a sense of moral disapproval and political opposition. I.e., one is less likely to hear of the 'Bush regime' or a 'democratic regime'.
See also: Ancien régime, regime change
Political Science professor, Fred Judson, defines a regime as the relationship between the state, society, market, and global insertion.
Other uses
Another political use of "regime" concerns international regulatory agencies, which lie outside of the control of national governments. These have more power over a greater range than postal or telecommunications agreements, for example, and constrain national governments.
The basic meaning of "regime", a system of control, can be found in terms 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".
See http://www.sans.org/press/release_20050407.pdf regarding the "old GIAC regime".
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