Link Republican with joy (8)
I believe the answer is:
relation
'link' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'republican with joy' is the wordplay.
'republican' becomes 'r' (abbreviation).
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'joy' becomes 'elation' (elation is a kind of joy).
'r'+'elation'='RELATION'
(Other definitions for relation that I've seen before include "Auntie?" , "Person connected by blood or marriage" , "Oriental (anag.)" , "Relative" , "Telling" .)