reign

noun

\ˈrān

Definition of reign

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

reign

verb

reigned; reigning; reigns

Definition of reign (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about reign

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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: Noun

So is the reign of coach Mike Holmgren, who brought the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl, and coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, who led them to two more, including the title in the 2013 season. — Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, "Paul Allen was a knight in shining armor for the Seahawks and Seattle," 15 Oct. 2018 As Queen of the sartorial risk, Lady Gaga will take the reigns for the night alongside Harry Styles, also well-known for his love of flamboyancy and pushing the boundaries of typical menswear and gender through clothing. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Lady Gaga Will Host Next Year's Met Gala With Harry Styles and Serena Williams," 10 Oct. 2018 Wolber took the reigns at Crystal just nine months ago after years as a top executive at Disney Cruise Line and other divisions of Disney. — Gene Sloan, USA TODAY, "New Crystal Cruises river ship, Crystal Ravel, christened on Danube," 11 July 2018 Broken by Matt Law of The Telegraph, Sarri will take over the reigns as head coach at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea prepare for the start of pre-season when the players not involved at the World Cup return on the 9th July. — SI.com, "Chelsea Expected to Appoint Antonio Conte's Successor in the Coming Days (Again)," 1 July 2018 Having your company take the reigns might seem like an overreach, but there's a good reason for doing so. — refinery29.com, "5 Reasons To Set Up An Automatic Savings Deduction," 8 June 2018 Those two cities took the reigns from Cleveland, which ended its 52-year title drought when LeBron James and Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. — Alec Romero, sacbee, "Washington is a win from ending 26-year wait. Which of these title-starved cities is next?," 6 June 2018 De Orio took the reigns of the show after a lengthy competition process following Singh's departure. — Nick Kindelsperger, chicagotribune.com, "Alpana Singh plans to return to 'Check, Please!'," 23 May 2018 Michelin-starred San Francisco restaurateur Pim Techamuanvivit has taken the reigns at Nahm in Bangkok, a destination lauded for its Thai cuisine and recently named one of top 50 restaurants in the world. — Justin Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "Pim Techamuanvivit of Kin Khao is taking over Thailand’s celebrated Nahm," 1 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The two contestants, both in their mid-20s, were the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen (then and now the reigning champion) and Russia’s Sergey Karjakin. — Brad Leithauser, WSJ, "‘The Grandmaster’ Review: The 64-Square Universe," 8 Nov. 2018 Still though, there's no denying that the reigning Mirror Ball champion is a very talented performer. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Everything to Know About the 'Dancing with the Stars Juniors' Cast and Judges," 2 Aug. 2018 Many of the league’s teams returned, such as reigning champions Team Solomid, and popular squads like Team Echo Fox, backed by former NBA player Rick Fox, and Cloud9. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Why competitive gaming is starting to look a lot like professional sports," 27 July 2018 Gurley, meanwhile, tied for third among running backs — after Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson (more on that later) — despite being the league's reigning offense player of the year after leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage and TDs. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "'Madden NFL 19' player ratings: 9 head-turning observations include slight to Eli Manning," 12 July 2018 For the second time in Houston sports history, the reigning Major League Baseball and NBA most valuable players both reside in Houston. — Matt Young, Houston Chronicle, "Rockets' James Harden joins list of Houston's all-time MVPs," 25 June 2018 Running back Todd Gurley, the reigning NFL offensive player of the year, is entering the fourth year of his rookie contract. — Gary Klein, latimes.com, "New Rams Suh, Peters, Talib and Cooks look like super additions so far," 14 June 2018 But this year the financial penalty probably won’t factor into the decision for the reigning NFL defensive player of the year, a four-year veteran capable of resetting the market for players other than quarterbacks. — Dan Woike & Gary Klein, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chargers ready for quiet minicamp; Rams likely missing Aaron Donald," 11 June 2018 Four-time and reigning defensive player of the year Ben Wallace wasn’t just signing with the Bulls for four years and $60 million in July 2006. — K.c. Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "20 years since dissolution of the dynasty, Bulls still a long way from the top," 10 June 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.