Naming the grey zone. A genealogical inquiry into three waves of classification (1970-2024)

Hybrid regimes have become a central object of analysis in comparative politics, yet the conceptual categories used to describe them have evolved in a non-linear and contextdependent manner over time. This article examines how classificatory labels have evolved over the past five decades and argues that their proliferation cannot be understood without considering the changing geopolitical and disciplinary environments in which they emerged. Drawing on a systematic conceptual review – combining definitional clarification, genealogical reconstruction, and comparative analytical mapping – the study identifies three major phases: transitional labels during the late Cold War, democratic subtypes in the post–Cold War era, and authoritarian-leaning formulations in the early twenty-first century. This trajectory reveals that hybrid regime concepts are not neutral descriptors but context – and discipline – dependent artefacts shaped by shifting expectations about democracy, authoritarianism, and global political change. By situating hybrid labels within their intellectual and international settings, the article clarifies how classificatory repertoires evolved and how shifts in geopolitical and disciplinary environments influenced the development and use of hybrid regime terminology.