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
reigned; reigning; reigns
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
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
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
The film, released in 1991, explored the expulsion of the Indian minority from Uganda during the reign of Idi Amin.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 June 2025
Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 June 2025
The system mastered the game of Go and developed its own unique tactics, defeating reigning European champion Fan Hui 5-0 in a tournament match.
—Daniel Keller, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
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Noun
It was announced on Wednesday that directing legend Denis Villeneuve would be the first James Bond director under the new Amazon reign, diving into the lore of the legendary secret agent some time after his next Dune movie.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
The film, released in 1991, explored the expulsion of the Indian minority from Uganda during the reign of Idi Amin.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 June 2025
Verb
The 2019 biopic Ford v Ferrari is currently the genre’s reigning champ with a $226.2 million worldwide gross.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 June 2025
The system mastered the game of Go and developed its own unique tactics, defeating reigning European champion Fan Hui 5-0 in a tournament match.
—Daniel Keller, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
Cite this Entry
“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reign
1 of 2 noun1
: the authority or rule of a monarch
2
: the time during which a monarch reigns
reign
2 of 2 verb1
: to govern as a monarch
2
: to exercise authority in the manner of a monarch
3
: to be usual or widespread
silence reigned
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