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.

---

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

---

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

From the start of Louis XIV’s reign in the 17th century until Paris fell to the Nazis in 1940, the city was the world’s undisputed tastemaker in everything from philosophy to furniture.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Ferguson, who managed United for 27 years during a glittering reign, watches the club's games from the directors' box.

From BBC • May 3, 2026

"Her reign wasn't necessarily long enough for an established iconography… and there is this tantalising suggestion that perhaps some of her images might have been deliberately destroyed."

From BBC • May 1, 2026

This Andrew Lloyd Webber juggernaut, which launched a wave of British mega-musicals in the 1980s, had a long and lucrative reign.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

William was succeeded by Anne, the second daughter of James II, who, before and during her twelve-year reign, was greatly influenced by Halifax.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate