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

After taking charge in October in the aftermath of Russell Martin's short and tumultuous reign, Rohl received plenty of praise for hauling Rangers into the race.

From BBC • May 9, 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

The trip was also a change of pace for the King, whose visit to the US was seen as the biggest diplomatic moment of his reign.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Toto Wolff’s reign as the debonair prince of Formula One seemed to be over.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Viserys had told her that the last Targaryen dragons had died no more than a century and a half ago, during the reign of Aegon HI, who was called the Dragonbane.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate