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

Example Sentences

Only once in Amorim's turbulent 14-month reign did United win three games in a row and Carrick has matched that run within weeks of his appointment until the end of the season.

From Barron's

Lens are top of the standings on 46 points after beating Le Havre 1-0 on Friday, but reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain are just one point back in second before visiting Strasbourg later on Sunday.

From Barron's

Overall, Rosenior's early reign, now four weeks old, has been characterised by grinding out results and impactful in‑game adjustments.

From BBC

They could become the owner of the reigning Super Bowl champions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Then, regardless of the outcome, the reigning NFC champions are expected to be put up for sale, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate