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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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No one has declared the U.S. buildings unsafe, nor has the U.S. government initiated any of the widespread testing of aluminum paneling that British authorities ordered after the London disaster.
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Sullivan has been a donor to Democrats for decades and has worked in state government.
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Alaska has a reinsurance program designed to keep premiums down, and was recently granted a waiver by the federal government for some of its spending on high-cost medical bills.
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In one controversial deal, the U.S. government approved sales of a large amount of North American uranium deposits to Russian interests.
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The Chinese government has considered smuggling such a problem that it's launched initiatives to crack down on the practice.
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Potentially dangerous stem cell treatments are being marketed on a website the federal government established to help patients find experimental therapies, according to a prominent professor of bioethics.
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Outside the national security context, government requests for user data usually require probable-cause warrants with a judge's signature.
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Experts say a lack of support from local governments could weigh on a new market’s prospects for MLS.
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
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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