government

[guhv-ern-muh nt, ‐er-muh nt]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR government ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or inhabitants of communities, societies, and states; direction of the affairs of a state, community, etc.; political administration: Government is necessary to the existence of civilized society.

the form or system of rule by which a state, community, etc., is governed: monarchical government; episcopal government.

the governing body of persons in a state, community, etc.; administration.

a branch or service of the supreme authority of a state or nation, taken as representing the whole: a dam built by the government.

(in some parliamentary systems, as that of the United Kingdom)

the particular group of persons forming the cabinet at any given time: The prime minister has formed a new government.
the parliament along with the cabinet: The government has fallen.

direction; control; management; rule: the government of one's conduct.

a district governed; province.

political science.

Grammar. the extablished usage that requires that one word in a sentence should cause another to be of a particular form: the government of the verb by its subject.

Origin of government

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Old French word governement. See govern, -ment

Related formsgov·ern·men·tal

[guhv-ern-men-tl, ‐er-men‐] /ˌgʌv ərnˈmɛn tl, ‐ərˈmɛn‐/, adjectivegov·ern·men·tal·ly, adverbcoun·ter·gov·ern·ment, nounnon·gov·ern·ment, nounnon·gov·ern·men·tal, adjectivepro-gov·ern·ment, adjectivere·gov·ern·ment, nounsem·i·gov·ern·men·tal, adjectivesem·i·gov·ern·men·tal·ly, adverbsub·gov·ern·ment, nounun·der·gov·ern·ment, nounun·gov·ern·men·tal, adjectiveun·gov·ern·men·tal·ly, adverb

Usage note

See collective noun.

Pronunciation note

Normal phonological processes are reflected in a variety of pronunciations for government. Most commonly, the first

[n] /n/ of

[guhv-ern-muh nt] /ˈgʌv ərn mənt/ assimilates to the immediately following

[m] /m/, with the resulting identical nasal sounds coalescing to give the pronunciation

[guhv-er-muh nt] /ˈgʌv ər mənt/. This pronunciation is considered standard and occurs throughout the U.S. For speakers in regions where postvocalic

[r] /r/ is regularly lost, as along the Eastern Seaboard and in the South, the resulting pronunciation is

[guhv-uh-muh nt] /ˈgʌv ə mənt/ or, with loss of the medial unstressed vowel,

[guhv-muh nt] /ˈgʌv mənt/. Further assimilation, in which the labiodental

[v] /v/, in anticipation of the bilabial quality of the following

[m] /m/, becomes the bilabial stop

[b] /b/, leads in the South Midland and Southern U.S. to the pronunciation

[guhb-muh nt] /ˈgʌb mənt/. See isn't.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for government

power, ministry, union, authority, state, rule, politics, law, regime, control, regimentation, predominance, executive, supremacy, empire, guidance, governance, regulation, superiority, sovereignty

Examples from the Web for government

Contemporary Examples of government

A few years back, designer John Galliano was fined by the government for sharing just such anti-semitic sentiments in public.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead
Luke O’Neil
January 8, 2015
Not actual CIA agents, but U.S. government personnel who have worked very closely with the CIA, and who are fans of the show.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS
Marlow Stern
January 8, 2015
I think the response of the French government so far has been pretty appropriate in that regard.
Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire
Lloyd Grove
January 8, 2015
The United States government might not release that information for years, if ever.
Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack?
Shane Harris
January 8, 2015
But most likely it was linked to the way priests identify with the poor in the face of government and criminal abuses.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder
Jason McGahan
January 7, 2015

Historical Examples of government

Harbour improvements have occupied much of the attention of Government.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
Shall be happy to facilitate any despatch you may wish forwarded to your Government.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
Sometimes it is said that man can not be trusted with the government of himself.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
If the minority will not acquiesce, the majority must, or the Government must cease.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various

British Dictionary definitions for government

government

noun

the exercise of political authority over the actions, affairs, etc, of a political unit, people, etc, as well as the performance of certain functions for this unit or body; the action of governing; political rule and administration

the system or form by which a community, etc, is ruledtyrannical government

the executive policy-making body of a political unit, community, etc; ministry or administrationyesterday we got a new government
(capital when of a specific country)the British Government

the state and its administrationblame it on the government
(as modifier)a government agency

regulation; direction

grammar the determination of the form of one word by another word

Derived Formsgovernmental (ˌɡʌvənˈmɛntəl, ˌɡʌvəˈmɛntəl), adjectivegovernmentally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for government

late 14c., "act of governing or ruling;" 1550s, "system by which a thing is governed" (especially a state), from Old French governement (Modern French gouvernement), from governer (see govern). Replaced Middle English governance. Meaning "governing power" in a given place is from 1702.