reign

[ reyn ]

/ reɪn /

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.

Nearby words

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

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR reign ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR reign

4. obey.

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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

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Umberto, who went by Albert, oversaw mob killings during his reign in the mid-1900s.
Brooklyn’s Gangster Graveyard|Nina Strochlic|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Afar, is the reign of philosophy; close up is the chaos of the Carlovingian era.
The Origins of Contemporary France, Volume 2 (of 6)|Hippolyte A. Taine
The banquet in the air on the present occasion could only be done justice to by the courtly painters of the reign of Louis XV.
Lothair|Benjamin Disraeli
It was in this reign of universal religious toleration that the Christian religion was brought forth and developed.
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 3|Joseph Smith
They mostly began to reign as old men, and their reigns were short, averaging less than two years each.
The Outline of History: Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind|Herbert George Wells
Early in his reign he had glanced at Irish politics and it seems had thought of union.
Irish History and the Irish Question|Goldwin Smith

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

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

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.

reign

"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.

reign

noun

verb (used without object)

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Origin of reign

Examples from the Web for reign

reign

noun

verb (intr)

Word Origin for reign

usage

reign

reign