reign

[ reyn ]

noun

1. the period during which a sovereign occupies the throne.
2. royal rule or authority; sovereignty.

   Synonyms: suzerainty, dominion

3. dominating power or influence:

   the reign of law.

verb (used without object)

1. to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority.

   Synonyms: prevail, govern, rule

   Antonyms: obey

2. to hold the position and name of sovereign without exercising the ruling power.
3. to have control, rule, or influence of any kind.
4. to predominate; be prevalent.

reign

/ reɪn /

noun

1. the period during which a monarch is the official ruler of a country
2. a period during which a person or thing is dominant, influential, or powerful

   the reign of violence is over

verb

1. to exercise the power and authority of a sovereign
2. to be accorded the rank and title of a sovereign without having ruling authority, as in a constitutional monarchy
3. to predominate; prevail

   a land where darkness reigns

4. usually present participle to be the most recent winner of a competition, contest, etc

   the reigning heavyweight champion

Usage

Reign is sometimes wrongly written for rein in certain phrases: he gave full rein (not reign ) to his feelings; it will be necessary to rein in (not reign in ) public spending

Other Words From

• inter·reign verb (used without object)
• non·reigning adjective
• outreign verb (used with object)
• un·reigning adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reign¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English noun reine, regne, from Old French reigne, from Latin regnum “realm, reign,” derivative of reg- (stem of rēx ) “king”; Middle English verb reinen, regnen, from Old French reignier, from Latin regnāre, derivative of regnum

Word History and Origins

Origin of reign¹

C13: from Old French reigne , from Latin rēgnum kingdom, from rēx king

Example Sentences

Mediocrity reigned for both schools, but worse than mediocrity is irrelevance, with the Dodgers, Rams, Chargers and Lakers et al.

From Los Angeles Times

At the start of his reign, Amorim said he wanted his players to work hard.

From BBC

In Whitehall, Cummings has long argued, “failure is normal” while “confident public school bluffers” - rather than people with real policy expertise - reign supreme.

From BBC

But he, like every other rider in the modern era, operates in the shadow of the mighty Tadej Pogacar, the reigning Tour champion.

From BBC

But did you know that for the first five years of his reign, Friedman did not sign a player for more than $100 million?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dynasty
• regime
• tenure