Definition of reign
1a : royal authority : sovereignty under the reign of the Stuart kingsb : 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
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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
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Nick Saban's 10-year reign at Alabama has produced four national titles, not to mention the last three SEC championships.
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In Mosul, the initial relief at liberation from IS’s reign of terror is already turning to grumbling.
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Reign defender Lauren Barnes returned to the back line after a one-game suspension for a red card against Kansas City last week.
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A serious fever follows as he’s surrounded by a horde of doctors and advisors who sense the end of the 72-year reign—the longest in French history.
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First Major Title Defense, Finally Sonjay Dutt will be defending the X-Division Championship belt against five-time former champion Low-Ki, showcasing Dutt’s first-ever title reign.
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As for the population hubs New York and California, safer hues reign supreme.
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Of all the mother-daughter pairs on TV, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore reign supreme.
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Basing the map off of 125 A.D, in the midst of Hadrian's reign, the map shows the complexity of one of the longest lasting societies in the world.
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
Other Government and Politics Terms
reign
Definition of reign
intransitive verb
1a : to possess or exercise sovereign power : ruleb : 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
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
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Reigning Mount Marathon champion and race record-holder David Norris will not defend his crown Tuesday.
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As the NFL entered its dead period this past week, that blink of a break between the end of minicamps and the start of training camps, optimism reigned.
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The Blackhawks’ season opener is Oct. 5 against the Penguins, the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
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The French goal conflicts with a key Trump administration objective: scaling back UN deployments as part of a broader effort to reign in spending.
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Two more home runs by Edwin Encarnacion, who drove in all five runs for the reigning American League champions, dropped the Twins (34-33) two games out of first place in the Central division.
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Attendees may be invited to sing along with the group while the Mad Hatter reigns over the festivities.
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The 28-year-old McGregor is the reigning UFC lightweight champion.
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The Panthers, after all, won a franchise record 47 games with 103 points and — just a year ago — were the reigning Atlantic Division champions.
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.
First Known Use of reign
14th century
Other Government and Politics Terms
REIGN Defined for English Language Learners
reign
playDefinition of reign for English Language Learners
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: the period of time during which a king, queen, emperor, etc., is ruler of a country
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: the period of time during which someone is in charge of a group or organization
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: the period of time during which someone or something is the best or the most important, powerful, etc.
reign
Definition of reign for English Language Learners
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: to rule as a king, queen, emperor, etc.
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: to be the best or the most powerful or important person or thing
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—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
REIGN Defined for Kids
Definition of reign for Students
1 : the authority or rule of a monarch
2 : the time during which a monarch rules
Definition of reign for Students
reigned
;reigning
1 : to rule as a monarch
2 : to be usual or widespread Enthusiasm reigned in the classroom.
3 : to be the best or most powerful the reigning champions
Learn More about reign
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See words that rhyme with reign Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for reign Spanish Central: Translation of reign Nglish: Translation of reign for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of reign for Arabic speakers
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