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

In this post-apocalyptic land, women reign by default. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "Diane Lane Is Coming To FX In Pilot Y, About A Future Where There's Only One Man Left," 11 July 2018 Image In these mad times when rosé-mania reigns over summer, the sad fact of the matter is that most rosés are not made for people who love wine. — Eric Asimov, New York Times, "American Rosés Without Clichés," 5 July 2018 During the final months of his reign, Akihito and Michiko plan to revisit places key to Japan’s and their own personal history. — Washington Post, "Japan’s 84-year-old emperor has dizziness, advised to rest," 2 July 2018 Over the course of her 65-year reign, Queen Elizabeth has become known for her vibrant wardrobe, and her penchant for wearing shades like lime green or electric yellow. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "The Very British Reason Meghan Markle Keeps Wearing Blush and Beige," 1 July 2018 Nacho hasn't found his time at Real Madrid to always be as smooth as this season, rarely making it off the bench at one point in Zidane's reign, which forced him to consider an exit to continue his development. — SI.com, "Real Madrid Defender Nacho Set for Significant Pay Rise as Report Claims New Contract Is Close," 27 June 2018 Positivity does reign as Taggart takes over a team hungry for a rebound after a dreadful 2017. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, "ACC power rankings: Clemson leads the way," 25 June 2018 Epic hiking, backpacking and mountain biking reign here, with routes lacing the 68,000-acre King Range National Conservation Area (top elevations soar above 4,000 feet). — Harriot Manley, SFChronicle.com, "Favorite escapes for Northern California’s eco-minded congressman," 21 June 2018 Where identity politics reigns, so, too, do its regents: polarization, gridlock and groupthink. — Orrin Hatch, WSJ, "Identity Politics Threatens the American Experiment," 18 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Back-to-back bogeys by Frodigh in combination with a pair of pars by Parziale enabled the reigning MassAm champ to pull within two with three holes remaining. — Mia Berry, BostonGlobe.com, "Defending MassAm champion Matt Parziale falls in quarters," 12 July 2018 But in a surprise upset, their hope was restored when South Korea beat reigning champ, Germany, allowing them to advance to Round 16. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "Mexican restaurant celebrates World Cup advancement by offering Korean customers discount as thanks," 28 June 2018 But the celebrities all tee off from the first tee beginning at noon, with reigning Travelers champ Jordan Spieth and Jets receiver Jermaine Kearse leading off in that time slot. — Staff Report, courant.com, "Travelers Championship Releases Celebrity Pro-Am Pairings," 19 June 2018 Germany’s team went into the game as the reigning world champs, with a long and consistent history of strong World Cup performances. — Brittany Martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "Pictures of People Losing Their Minds Over Mexico’s World Cup Win," 18 June 2018 Other exciting group stage match-ups include reigning champ Germany vs. Mexico on Sunday, June 17 at 11 A.M. EST; Brazil vs. Switzerland on Sunday, June 17 at 2 P.M. EST; and Argentina vs. Croatia on Thursday, June 21 at 2 P.M. EST. — Leah Prinzivalli, SELF, "Here's How to Watch the World Cup 2018 Live Over the Next Month," 14 June 2018 Three of the last four reigning champs have crashed out in the first round — home before the postcards. — Mark Zeigler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Your guide to the World Cup you forgot was happening," 13 June 2018 The reigning state champs had a rough day at the ball park Thursday in Fairbanks. — Anchorage Daily News, "Defending champ South stumbles at state softball tourney," 1 June 2018 Detroit Lions’ wide receiver Golden Tate and reigning IndyCar Series champ Josef Newgarden have a friendly but heated ping pong rivalry that goes way back. — Michelle R. Martinelli, For The Win, "IndyCar's Josef Newgarden beat Lions' WR Golden Tate at ping pong," 31 May 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.