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

With the group of players that was really struggling in the latter weeks and months of Rodgers' reign, O'Neill's got a big win on the road in Europe on the big stage.

Read more on BBC

However, the reigning champions are 12th in the Premier League with six wins and six defeats after 12 matches while they sit 13th in the 36-team league phase of the Champions League.

Read more on BBC

On substance, Leo is showing much continuity with Francis, including by making social justice a central theme of his reign.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Read: Retailers try to downplay worries about lower-income shoppers, as bargains reign supreme.

Read more on MarketWatch

To some extent, there was a time when such carefree wildness reigned.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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