reign
Americannoun
-
reigns
plural
-
the period during which a sovereign occupies the throne.
-
royal rule or authority; sovereignty.
- Synonyms:
- suzerainty, dominion
-
dominating power or influence.
the reign of law.
verb (used without object)
-
reigns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reigned,
past participle, past
-
reigning
present participle
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 powerful
the reign of violence is over
verb
-
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; prevail
a land where darkness reigns
-
(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
Derived Forms
-
outreignverb (used with object)
-
interreignverb (used without object)
-
nonreigningadjective
-
unreigningadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reignsimple
-
reignssimple
-
have reignedperfect
-
has reignedperfect
-
am reigningprogressive
-
are reigningprogressive
-
is reigningprogressive
-
have been reigningperfect progressive
-
has been reigningperfect progressive
Past
-
reignedsimple
-
had reignedperfect
-
was reigningprogressive
-
were reigningprogressive
-
had been reigningperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing reign
ASVAB Word Knowledge
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Stargirl
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Walter's purchase, reported in June last year, ended the Buss family's 46-year reign over the NBA giants.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Over the weekend he’d gone from the top trade candidate in baseball, to a symbol of the Dodgers’ evil reign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Chelsea begin Alonso reign with 6-4 win in Sydney - who stood out?
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Jurgen Klopp started his reign as Germany's head coach by threatening to quit if the media invades his family's privacy.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Evil may be endured when our days pass in mourning, heavy-hearted, hard beset, if only sleep reign over nighttime, blanketing the world’s good and evil from our eyes.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” reigns supreme over nine live-action movies and two animated features.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
This period of relative stability from 1556 to 1658 coincided with the reigns of three consecutive emperors: Akbar, his son Jahangir and his grandson Shah Jahan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
In an era when divisiveness reigns and everything seems to be designed to keep us at each other’s throats, Byrd makes camaraderie look as simple as it is.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
"Lots of people are living in fear and uncertainty," one former resident said of the oppressive atmosphere that many now say reigns in the world-renowned experimental city.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
"My son reigns as King in the North, by the will of our lords and people. He bends the knee to no man, but holds out the hand of friendship to all."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Activists had expressed concerns that despite the tough laws, lawbreakers were not being reigned in.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
The result, she said, is that “the days when dad books reigned supreme are gone.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Networks like the CW and Freeform reigned then, airing now-classic teen dramas like “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Vampire Diaries.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
Suspicion reigned even after Netanyahu posted a third video, this one with the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.
From Barron's ● Apr. 2, 2026
In the playing hall itself, decorum and quiet reigned.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
During the offseason, the Rams added All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, cornerback Jaylen Watson and defensive end Myles Garrett, the reigning NFL defensive player of the year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
What was a surprise was the relatively minor amount the Dodgers had to give up to acquire the reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
On offense, the Rams boast reigning MVP Matthew Stafford at quarterback along with star wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
The Premier League is not far away, with reigning champions Arsenal hosting newly promoted Coventry City on Friday, 21 August.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Garry Kasparov, the reigning champion, was one who discounted the match’s significance.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
