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

Two-wheelers reign supreme across Vietnam, where public transport is limited and many cannot afford cars, making it the world's fourth-largest motorbike market.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

“Michael”’s box office reign comes to us during a season that includes the highly anticipated TV reboot of the Harry Potter franchise, despite its author J.K.

From Salon • May 14, 2026

Halley's Comet crossed the skies during the short reign of King Harold Godwinson, who ruled England from January 6 to October 14, 1066.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

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

Barth had been a blacksmith’s son who rose to be King’s Hand during the reign of Jaehaerys the Conciliator.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate