reign

American  

[reyn] / reɪn /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

Etymology

Origin of reign

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

Example Sentences

Tudor, hired in part for having a positive short-term impact at the clubs he has managed, has overseen four consecutive defeats in a dismal 25-day reign since succeeding Thomas Frank on 14 February.

From BBC

With a Triple Crown on the line - and possibly a championship, too - there are more eyeballs on him now than at any point in his reign.

From BBC

Market volatility had been compressed, and complacency reigned.

From MarketWatch

The Pollen-Isherwood story provides a lesson about the danger of decadence for the reigning hegemon in the face of a rising challenger.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many of the country’s 93 million people were deeply dissatisfied with the sclerotic and often corrupt rule that characterized the 36-plus-year reign of his father.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate