reign
[ reyn ]
/ reɪn /
noun
the period during which a sovereign occupies the throne.
royal rule or authority; sovereignty.
dominating power or influence: the reign of law.
verb (used without object)
QUIZZES
Can You Ace This Quiz About “Compliment” vs. “Complement”?
Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!
Question 1 of 11
“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.
Origin of reign
1225–75; (noun) Middle English reine, regne < Old French reigne < Latin rēgnum realm, reign, derivative of rēg- (stem of rēx) king; (v.) Middle English reinen, regnen < Old French reignier < Latin rēgnāre, derivative of rēgnum
SYNONYMS FOR reign
OTHER WORDS FROM reign
in·ter·reign, verb (used without object)non·reign·ing, adjectiveout·reign, verb (used with object)un·reign·ing, adjectiveWords nearby reign
reidsville, reif, reifenstein's syndrome, reify, reigate, reign, reign of terror, reignite, reik, reiki, reimburse
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for reign
British Dictionary definitions for reign
reign
/ (reɪn) /
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 powerfulthe reign of violence is over
verb (intr)
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; prevaila land where darkness reigns
(usually present participle) to be the most recent winner of a competition, contest, etcthe reigning heavyweight champion
Word Origin for reign
C13: from Old French reigne, from Latin rēgnum kingdom, from rēx king
usage for reign
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
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