reign

[reyn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reign ON THESAURUS.COM

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)

to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority.

to hold the position and name of sovereign without exercising the ruling power.

to have control, rule, or influence of any kind.

to predominate; be prevalent.

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

Related formsin·ter·reign, verb (used without object)non·reign·ing, adjectiveout·reign, verb (used with object)un·reign·ing, adjective

Can be confusedrain reign rein

Synonyms for reign

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reign ON THESAURUS.COM

2. dominion, suzerainty. 4. rule, govern, prevail.

Antonyms for reign

4. obey.

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

Related Words for reign

dynasty, regime, tenure, occupy, govern, dominate, predominate, control, monarchy, power, influence, incumbency, administration, supremacy, command, hegemony, sovereignty, sway, ascendancy, empire

Examples from the Web for reign

Contemporary Examples of reign

“I think Sex Ed is equally, if not more, important than mathematics or English,” says Reign.
The Next Frontier of Sex Ed: How Porn Twists Teens’ Brains
Aurora Snow
November 29, 2014
However it is that she got there, we know the reign of the tyrants at Grady Memorial is coming to a close.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Slabtown’: The Real Source of Terror Isn’t Walkers, It’s Rape
Melissa Leon
November 3, 2014
Umberto, who went by Albert, oversaw mob killings during his reign in the mid-1900s.
Brooklyn’s Gangster Graveyard
Nina Strochlic
October 23, 2014
But one thing is becoming clearer: No matter who is nominally in charge, chaos will reign.
There’s a Senate Civil War Coming, No Matter Who Wins in November
David Freedlander
October 14, 2014
Thompson beat out Charles Hynes for Brooklyn DA, ending a reign that last more than 23 years.
The Orthodox Sex Abuse Crackdown That Wasn’t
Emily Shire
October 7, 2014

Historical Examples of reign

Yet the period of Victoria's reign will often be spoken of in history as the Gladstonian Era.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
From the first to the last moment of her reign, she combined the courtesan with the assassin.
Ridgeway
Scian Dubh
O, when will the reign of perfect charity, that "thinketh no evil," commence!
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. II
Francis Augustus Cox
She used to reign over what they called the "Island of Mere."
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
Unfortunate was the commencement of my reign—unfortunate its end.
Leila, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

British Dictionary definitions for reign

reign

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

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

Word Origin and History for reign

early 13c., "kingdom," from Old French reigne "kingdom, land, country" (Modern French règne), from Latin regnum "kingship, dominion, rule, realm," related to regere (see regal). Meaning "period of rule" first recorded mid-14c.

"to hold or exercise sovereign power," late 13c., from Old French regner "rule, reign" (12c.), from Latin regnare "have royal power, be king, rule, reign," from regnum (see reign (n.)). Related: Reigned; reigning; regnal.