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reign

[ reyn ]
/ reɪn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR reign ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the period during which a sovereign occupies the throne.
royal rule or authority; sovereignty.
dominating power or influence: the reign of law.

verb (used without object)

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM reign

in·ter·reign, verb (used without object)non·reign·ing, adjectiveoutreign, verb (used with object)un·reign·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH reign

rain, reign , rein
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to reign

dynasty, regime, tenure, occupy, govern, dominate, predominate, control, monarchy, power, influence, incumbency, administration, supremacy, command, hegemony, sovereignty, sway, ascendancy, empire

Example sentences from the Web for reign

British Dictionary definitions for reign

reign
/ (reɪn) /

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 powerfulthe reign of violence is over

verb (intr)

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; prevaila land where darkness reigns
(usually present participle) to be the most recent winner of a competition, contest, etcthe reigning heavyweight champion

Word Origin for reign

C13: from Old French reigne, from Latin rēgnum kingdom, from rēx king

usage for reign

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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012