reign

American  

[reyn] / reɪn /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

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.

Example Sentences

He coached Sierra Canyon the last four years, but became a future City Section Hall of Famer when he guided Chatsworth to eight City titles during his 27-year reign, the most by any coach.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

The reconstruction fund has launched a wave of projects in areas under the control of the eastern administration, aiming to "make up for the lost years" of Gaddafi's reign, Belgacem said.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

The success of that gambit ended Sparta’s reign as a Greek superpower.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

His reign at the 7-Eleven empire came to an end in 2016, when he resigned following a boardroom clash with U.S. investor Third Point, a rare example of U.S.-style shareholder activism intruding into Japanese boardrooms.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

His father, King Erechtheus of Athens, was usually said to be the king in whose reign Demeter came to Eleusis and agriculture began.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate