reign
[ reyn ]
/ reɪn /
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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)
OTHER WORDS FOR reign
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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, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use reign in a sentence
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
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