1
a
: royal authority : sovereignty
under the reign of the Stuart kings
b
: the dominion, sway, or influence of one resembling a monarch
the reign of the Puritan ministers
2
: the time during which someone (such as a sovereign) reigns
reigned; reigning; reigns
1
a
: to possess or exercise sovereign power : rule
b
: to hold office as chief of state although possessing little governing power
in England the sovereign reigns but does not rule
2
: to exercise authority in the manner of a monarch
3
: to be predominant or prevalent
chaos reigned in the classroom
Examples of reign in a Sentence
Noun
She was a popular ruler throughout her reign.
the reign of Queen Elizabeth
his reign as department chairperson
her reign as team president
his reign as heavyweight boxing champion
the reign of digital technology
Verb
The king reigned in a time of peace and prosperity.
The lion reigns as king of the jungle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Meredith Kile, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
On the field, Valarie Allman continued her reign over the discus and Tara Davis-Woodhall leaped to the top mark in the world in the long jump.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2025
The reigning 100-meter world champion sprinter also issued an apology to her boyfriend after allegedly assaulting him in a Seattle airport.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
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Noun
Balmoral has been the royal family's summer escape since the reign of Queen Victoria, whose husband, Prince Albert, purchased the property in 1852.
—Meredith Kile, People.com, 12 Aug. 2025
On the field, Valarie Allman continued her reign over the discus and Tara Davis-Woodhall leaped to the top mark in the world in the long jump.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
Only the top 50 golfers in the FedEx standings qualified for the BMW Championship, and the field includes the World No. 1 and reigning British Open and PGA champion Scottie Scheffler, Masters winner Rory McIlroy and U.S.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 14 Aug. 2025
The reigning 100-meter world champion sprinter also issued an apology to her boyfriend after allegedly assaulting him in a Seattle airport.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
Cite this Entry
“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reign
1 of 2 noun1
: the authority or rule of a monarch
2
: the time during which a monarch reigns
reign
2 of 2 verb1
: to govern as a monarch
2
: to exercise authority in the manner of a monarch
3
: to be usual or widespread
silence reigned
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