reign

noun \ ˈrān \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of reign

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

See reign defined for English-language learners

See reign defined for kids

Examples of reign in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of reign from the Web

The agency sets its annual agenda each spring, so if Senators don’t move fast to confirm Trump nominees Ann Marie Buerkle and Dana Baiocco, Mr. Obama’s picks will continue their reign well into 2019.

— the editorial board, WSJ, "A Defective Safety Squad," 1 Apr. 2018
For those who watch the agency, Tillerson's exit was an ironic coda to a reign that lasted just over 13 months and was characterized by the steady departure of talent and the depletion of some of the agency's most experienced and senior staff.

— nicole gaouette, CNN, "Tillerson exits a weakened and disillusioned State Department," 13 Mar. 2018
He was revered by the Met's orchestra, board and patrons during a reign as chief conductor (1973-76), music director (1976-86 and 2004-16) and artistic director (1986-2004).

— CBS News, "Met Opera fires longtime conductor James Levine after sexual abuse investigation," 12 Mar. 2018
Despite lip service to reducing such abuses, the junta continued its reign of institutionalized terrorism.

— adam bernstein, Washington Post, "Reynaldo Bignone, last leader of Argentina’s murderous junta, dies at 90," 7 Mar. 2018
The draw leaves Espanyol 15th in La Liga, with Barcelona continuing their reign over the Spanish league table - yet to lose a match this season.

— SI.com, "Espanyol Attacker Sergio Garcia Take to Instagram to Deny Umtiti Racism Claims," 5 Feb. 2018
During the Taliban reign from 1996 to 2001, only two publishers survived: the state publisher and a private company, Aazem Publishing.

— rod nordland and fahim abed, New York Times, "Most Afghans Can’t Read, but Their Book Trade Is Booming," 3 Feb. 2018
Cole Sprouse continues his reign as the ultimate prankster of Twitter, and this time, he's gotten your favorite fast food chain in on the joke.

— brianna wiest, Teen Vogue, "Cole Sprouse and McDonald’s Trolled Each Other on Twitter," 2 Feb. 2018
The Post makes Three Billboards‘ continued reign, especially in light of the controversy surrounding it, a bit of a head-scratcher.

— eliza berman, Time, "Today's Oscar Nominations Prove the Academy Can Still Surprise Us — in a Good Way," 23 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reign.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of reign

Middle English regne, from Anglo-French, from Latin regnum, from reg-, rex king — more at royal

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

reign Synonyms

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

reign

verb

Definition of reign

intransitive verb

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

See reign defined for English-language learners

Examples of reign in a Sentence

The king reigned in a time of peace and prosperity.
The lion reigns as king of the jungle.

Recent Examples of reign from the Web

Players like the reigning Wimbledon champion John Newcombe, who had signed with World Championship Tennis, the new circuit backed by the American oil baron Lamar Hunt, did not make the journey.

— christopher clarey, New York Times, "The Forgotten Home of Tennis’s Open Era," 22 Apr. 2018
After that, the Union embark on a stretch of three road games in a week: reigning champion Toronto on May 4, Columbus on May 9 and Montreal on May 12.

— jonathan tannenwald, Philly.com, "Union shut out for fourth time this season in 2-0 loss at FC Dallas," 21 Apr. 2018
On the other side, the reigning Eastern Conference champions are the fifth-best postseason defense and the Pacers have yet to crack the century mark.

— chris fedor, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers' typically explosive offense the surprising culprit as they face series deficit," 21 Apr. 2018
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya, reigning world indoor champion Francine Niyonsaba and five-time NCAA champion Raevyn Rogers are part of an all-star field for the women's 800 meters at this year's Prefontaine Classic.

— ken goe, OregonLive.com, "Francine Niyonsaba, Caster Semenya and Raevyn Rogers to tangle in the Pre Classic 800," 20 Apr. 2018
In between, there are two prime-time games (at Pittsburgh and home against the New Orleans Saints), an early bye and an October matchup against the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

— joseph person, charlotteobserver, "Five things, including the toughest stretches, about the Carolina Panthers' schedule | Charlotte Observer," 19 Apr. 2018
The reigning MLS Cup champions now find themselves in a hole after dropping the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final first leg at a freezing BMO Field, 2-1.

— juan pimiento, chicagotribune.com, "Chivas stun Toronto FC, the Serie A race heats up and the best of the week in soccer," 19 Apr. 2018
No, but beating junior Dallas Glass, senior Nick Rucker and the rest of the reigning state champions was a tough hill for the Eagles to climb.

— nate bryan, The Courier-Journal, "Pleasure Ridge Park, Glass find a groove and roll past Eastern," 18 Apr. 2018
The reigning champion of government launch, the United Launch Alliance, is defending its familiar turf but with new and improved launch hardware.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Meet the All-American Omega Rocket, the Next Contender to Launch Air Force Satellites," 17 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of reign

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

REIGN Defined for English Language Learners

reign

noun

Definition of reign for English Language Learners

: the period of time during which a king, queen, emperor, etc., is ruler of a country
: the period of time during which someone is in charge of a group or organization
: the period of time during which someone or something is the best or the most important, powerful, etc.

reign

verb

Definition of reign for English Language Learners

: to rule as a king, queen, emperor, etc.
: to be the best or the most powerful or important person or thing
—used to say that a quality exists to such a degree in a place or situation that it affects everything about that place or situation