reign

[ reyn ]

/ reɪn /

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See synonyms for: reign / reigning 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)

to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority.

to hold the position and name of sovereign without exercising the ruling power.

to have control, rule, or influence of any kind.

to predominate; be prevalent.

OTHER WORDS FOR reign

2 dominion, suzerainty.

4 rule, govern, prevail.

See synonyms for reign on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR reign

4 obey.

See antonyms for reign on Thesaurus.com

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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. 2023

How to use reign in a sentence

The sometimes-bought, sometimes-donated prizes were awarded to winners throughout the Czar’s reign.
Style Conversational Week 1413: Our new not-so-big top -- the Clowning Achievement trophy|Pat Myers|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
If given free reign to develop their own strategies, multiple pricing algorithms with real-time access to each other’s prices could quickly learn that cooperating with each other is the best way to maximize profits.
As Algorithms Take Over More of the Economy, We Should Cede Control (Very) Carefully|Edd Gent|December 1, 2020|Singularity Hub
Parler prides itself on not employing fact-checkers and letting free speech reign — though it still has rules.
‘Stop the Steal’ supporters, restrained by Facebook, turn to Parler to peddle false election claims|Elizabeth Dwoskin, Rachel Lerman|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
For Whitman and Katzenberg — best known for their respective reigns at HP and Disney — money was key to success in an already crowded marketplace.
The short, strange life of Quibi|Brian Heater|October 23, 2020|TechCrunch

Susan Davis announced last year her plans to retire at the end of her current term, ending a 20-year reign after flipping the then-49th District seat from Republican to Democrat.
The Ultimate Guide to the Local Election|Voice of San Diego|October 19, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The reigning queen of hip-hop treads the boards in her teen years.
Nicki Minaj: High School Actress|Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reigning Emmy champ coming off her best season yet on The Good Wife, Margulies could very well set that record, too.
Jennifer Aniston, Oscar Nominee? 5 Takeaways from the 2015 SAG Award Nominations|Kevin Fallon|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While still relatively unknown stateside, Bellucci is a reigning vixen in France and her native Italy.
‘Spectre’ Casts 50-Year-Old Bond Girl For 007 to Do Sex To|Amy Zimmerman|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reigning league MVP, Kevin Durant, is also set to hit the open market that summer.
2014 NBA Preview: Skinny LeBron and the Racist Ghost of Donald Sterling|Robert Silverman|October 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take for example, the reaction of Keith Olbermann, the reigning scold of sportslandia.
Forget the Wife Beating—Are You Ready for Some Football?|Steve Almond|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The reigning king would have removed the marble from this monument for use in some building in which he was to be interred!
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
He was also called "King of kings," reigning supreme over the gods; and sometimes he was called the "Father of the gods."
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
In the year 1112, the date of this narrative, the reigning king was named Louis the Lusty.
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue
Now, Edward, who do you think was here to-day—the reigning belle, and the toast of all the gentlemen?
The Children of the New Forest|Captain Marryat
At that time a very powerful prince named Oresta was reigning at Cumachen.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 5|Hubert Howe Bancroft

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

reign

OTHER WORDS FOR reign

OPPOSITES FOR reign

Origin of reign

OTHER WORDS FROM reign

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH reign

Words related to reign

How to use reign in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for reign

Word Origin for reign

usage for reign