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 Word Forms

• interreign verb (used without object)
• nonreigning adjective
• outreign verb (used with object)
• unreigning 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

It’s just one more reason why Mr. Carpenter is the reigning king of horror’s holiday.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Former president Salome Zurabishvili called the move "the ultimate step in Georgia's reign of terror," saying it aimed to turn the country into a "Russian-style authoritarian regime."

Read more on Barron's

Once that happens, his reign as the unfettered master of all he surveys will be over.

Read more on Salon

"This one took a little longer but this game was incredible," said Freeman, the reigning World Series Most Valuable Player.

Read more on Barron's

Where Italians and Irish long reigned, Chinese and south Asians are rising.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dominate 
• govern 
• hold sway www.thesaurus.com
• occupy 
• predominate