reign
Americannoun
-
the period during which a sovereign occupies the throne.
-
royal rule or authority; sovereignty.
- Synonyms:
- suzerainty, dominion
-
dominating power or influence.
the reign of law.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the period during which a monarch is the official ruler of a country
-
a period during which a person or thing is dominant, influential, or powerful
the reign of violence is over
verb
-
to exercise the power and authority of a sovereign
-
to be accorded the rank and title of a sovereign without having ruling authority, as in a constitutional monarchy
-
to predominate; prevail
a land where darkness reigns
-
(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
Derived Forms
-
outreignverb (used with object)
-
interreignverb (used without object)
-
nonreigningadjective
-
unreigningadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reignsimple
-
reignssimple
-
have reignedperfect
-
has reignedperfect
-
am reigningprogressive
-
are reigningprogressive
-
is reigningprogressive
-
have been reigningperfect progressive
-
has been reigningperfect progressive
Past
-
reignedsimple
-
had reignedperfect
-
was reigningprogressive
-
were reigningprogressive
-
had been reigningperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
Rain falls from above, and people who reign rule from a position above others. They reign over countries and governments, and even over businesses and arts, as in "She used to reign over punk music, always topping the charts." While reign is a verb when it refers to the actions of a person or group of people, the period of time when they reign is also called a reign, as a noun: "His reign over the rodeo circuit ended when he was tackled by a bull named Princess-Maker." Sometimes a stretch of time is called a reign, even without regard to who was the leader, as in a "reign of peace," or a period of time without war and conflict, in a place or government.
Vocabulary lists containing reign
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And throughout her reign, Madonna has lived her inconsistencies, vacillating between opinions and social, spiritual and artistic beliefs of all kinds.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
That seems like another era, as well as another reign.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Russia has largely dominated the Black Sea since the 18th-century reign of Catherine the Great.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
General contractor Enrique Valdez of Azteca 111 Builder Inc. was tasked with cutting the ratchet straps securing Pinky, seemingly putting an end to the bird’s reign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
That life of mine began on the Feast of Saint Giles in the Year of our Lord 1363, the thirty-sixth year of the reign of Edward the Third, England’s great warrior king.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
In an era when divisiveness reigns and everything seems to be designed to keep us at each other’s throats, Byrd makes camaraderie look as simple as it is.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
"Lots of people are living in fear and uncertainty," one former resident said of the oppressive atmosphere that many now say reigns in the world-renowned experimental city.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
An easy camaraderie reigns by the second full day of the March retreat.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Uncertainty reigns at Palace - can the new signings provide some direction?
From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026
Japan’s Emperor Akihito, who reigns today, is the 82nd direct descendant of the emperor under whom that first chronicle of A.D.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
For years USDC, which Circle and Coinbase co-founded, has reigned as the largest U.S.-based stablecoin.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The co-hosts were comfortably leading Paraguay 3-0 when confusion reigned in the Group D game.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
The result, she said, is that “the days when dad books reigned supreme are gone.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Networks like the CW and Freeform reigned then, airing now-classic teen dramas like “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
Silence reigned in the Pavilion of Thought, broken only by the wheels of ladders and the shush of pages turning.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Argentina, the reigning champion, is unbeaten in its last 12 World Cup games, but four of its last six knockout-stage games have gone to extra time or penalties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Spain, the reigning European champion, last advanced beyond the round of 16 at the World Cup in 2010, when it allowed just two goals en route to its only title.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Pogi is the defending Tour champ and the reigning back-to-back world champion who wins nearly every race he enters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
They were also adamant Mohamed Salah was fouled in Argentina's penalty area, seconds before the reigning champions broke for the winner.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Ah, Janelle Monáe, the reigning queen of blerdom.”
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
