government
playDefinition of government
1 : the act or process of governing; specifically : authoritative direction or control
2 obsolete : moral conduct or behavior : discretion
3a : the office, authority, or function of governingb obsolete : the term during which a governing official holds office
4 : the continuous exercise of authority over and the performance of functions for a political unit : rule
5a : the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions and which is usually classified according to the distribution of power within it She works for the federal government.b : the complex of political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out
6 : the body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organization: such asa : the officials comprising the governing body of a political unit and constituting the organization as an active agency The government was slow to react to the crisis.b capitalized : the executive branch of the U.S. federal governmentc capitalized : a small group of persons holding simultaneously the principal political executive offices of a nation or other political unit and being responsible for the direction and supervision of public affairs: (1) : such a group in a parliamentary system constituted by the cabinet or by the ministry (2) : administration 4b
7 : political science studied economics and government
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Examples of government in a Sentence
The government has been slow to react to the crisis.
She works for the federal government.
We need to improve relations with foreign governments.
He is a firm believer in democratic government.
We learned about different methods of government.
The country has been damaged by many years of weak government.
Recent Examples of government from the Web
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That emerging science has raised concerns that decades of government regulations, aimed at curbing smog that builds up across vast urban areas, are not sufficiently tailored to the more localized problem of roadway pollution.
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While the government itself offers no discounts or reimbursements for the fees, several credit cards and loyalty programs do: the Citi Prestige Card, Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard, and Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example.
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Miriam Duke, one of the prosecutors in the case, said the forfeiture, while not legally binding on the Georgia medical board, should have sent the message that the government believed Dekle had no business being a doctor.
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Food supplies are running perilously low, the U.N. warned Thursday, and a relentless air assault by government forces has damaged or destroyed every hospital in the area.
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Street crime in Rio is up sharply this year, according to government statistics.
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The government should also increase its support to agencies that help people who suffer from depression.
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In 1961, the Australian government announced a similar ban.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'government'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of government
see govern
First Known Use: 15th century
Other Government and Politics Terms
GOVERNMENT Defined for English Language Learners
government
playDefinition of government for English Language Learners
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: the group of people who control and make decisions for a country, state, etc.
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: a particular system used for controlling a country, state, etc.
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: the process or manner of controlling a country, state, etc.
GOVERNMENT Defined for Kids
government
playDefinition of government for Students
1 : control and direction of public business (as of a city or a nation) The mayor makes decisions regarding the government of city departments.
2 : a system of control : an established form of political rule a democratic government
3 : the people making up a governing body Their governments are committed to peace.
governmental
\ˌgə-vərn-ˈmen-t-əl, -vər-ˈmen-təl\ adjectiveLaw Dictionary
government
playLegal Definition of government
1 : the act or process of governing; specifically : authoritative direction or control
2 : the office, authority, or function of governing
3 : the continuous exercise of authority over and the performance of functions for a political unit : rule
4a : the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises authority and performs functions and which is usually classified according to the distribution of power within it b : the complex of political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out
5 : the body of persons that constitutes the governing authority of a political unit or organization: as a : the officials comprising the governing body of a political unit and constituting the organization as an active agency b capitalized : the executive branch of the U.S. federal government c : the prosecution in a criminal case in its capacity as agents of the political unit the government failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt
governmental
adjectivegovernmentally
adverbLearn More about government
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for government Spanish Central: Translation of government Nglish: Translation of government for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of government for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about government
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