<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000940397-03-000094
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030729
<FILING-DATE>20030731
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>REPUBLIC BANCORP INC /KY/
<CIK>0000921557
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6022
<IRS-NUMBER>610862051
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>KY
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>REPUBLIC CORPORATE CENTER
<STREET2>601 WEST MARKET ST
<CITY>LOUISVILLE
<STATE>KY
<ZIP>40202
<PHONE>5025843600
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>TRAGER BERNARD M
<CIK>0001078406
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-24649
<FILM-NUMBER>03814551
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>601 WEST MARKET STREET
<CITY>LOUISVILLE
<STATE>KY
<ZIP>40202
<PHONE>5025843600
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-07-29</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000921557</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>REPUBLIC BANCORP INC /KY/</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RBCAA</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001078406</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>TRAGER BERNARD M</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>601 WEST MARKET STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>LOUISVILLE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>KY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>40202-2700</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>1</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Chairman</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><derivativeTable><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Class B Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><footnoteId id="F3"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-07-29</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>P</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>2100.64</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>17.20</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><footnoteId id="F5"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Class A Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>2100.64</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>64958.98</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Jaytee Properties Limited Partnership </value><footnoteId id="F1"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Class B Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><footnoteId id="F3"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><footnoteId id="F5"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Class A Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><footnoteId id="F3"/></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>401212.85</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Teebank Limited Family Partnership </value><footnoteId id="F2"/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Class B Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><footnoteId id="F3"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><footnoteId id="F5"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Class A Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><footnoteId id="F3"/></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>117454</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By Spouse</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Class B Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><footnoteId id="F3"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><footnoteId id="F5"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Class A Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><footnoteId id="F3"/></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>By 401(k) Plan</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Class B Common Stock</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><footnoteId id="F3"/></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><footnoteId id="F4"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><footnoteId id="F5"/></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Class A Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><footnoteId id="F3"/></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>543726</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Jaytee Properties Limited Partnership is a family limited partnership of which the reporting person is a general partner and a limited partner and of which the reporting person's wife is a limited partner.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Teebank Family Limited Partnership is a family limited partnership of which the reporting person is a general partner and a limited partner and of which the reporting person's wife is a limited partner.</footnote><footnote id="F3">Conversion is on a share for share basis.</footnote><footnote id="F4">Immediate</footnote><footnote id="F5">None</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Bernard M. Trager</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-31</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
