reign

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noun \ ˈrān \

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

During the reign of President Park Chung-hee in the 1960s and 1970s, they were lionized for spearheading the rapid economic rise of a country that was poorer than North Korea.

— bruce einhorn, Bloomberg.com, "What Comes Next for Korea's Top Firms After Samsung Heir Convicted," 27 Aug. 2017
Russia will consolidate its reign over Central Asian states.

— max bearak, Washington Post, "What would happen if the United States totally disengaged from Afghanistan?," 26 July 2017
Nick Saban's 10-year reign at Alabama has produced four national titles, not to mention the last three SEC championships.

— josh bean, AL.com, "AL.com All-Access: Is Alabama really the runaway favorite in the SEC?," 18 July 2017
In Mosul, the initial relief at liberation from IS’s reign of terror is already turning to grumbling.

— The Economist, "Islamic State nears its end," 5 July 2017
Reign defender Lauren Barnes returned to the back line after a one-game suspension for a red card against Kansas City last week.

— jayda evans, The Seattle Times, "Megan Rapinoe scores twice, Reign blanks Portland," 1 July 2017
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.

— taylor m. riley, The Courier-Journal, "Have 4th of July holiday fun in Louisville at these Sunday events," 1 July 2017
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.

— posted by jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Global Force, Impact Wrestling Slammiversary Week Preview," 1 July 2017
Westbrook ended the two-year reign of Golden State’s Stephen Curry, who last season was the league’s first unanimous M.V.P. Westbrook’s honor capped the N.B.A. awards show, which included tributes to Monty Williams, Craig Sager and Bill Russell.

— the associated press, New York Times, "Russell Westbrook Wins M.V.P. at N.B.A. Awards," 26 June 2017

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

See Words from the same year

reign Synonyms

Synonyms

ascendance (also ascendence), ascendancy (also ascendency), dominance, domination, dominion, hegemony, imperium, predominance, predominancy, preeminence, supremacy, sovereignty (also sovranty)

Antonyms

impotence, impotency, powerlessness

Related Words

primacy, superiority; lordship, scepter; arm, authority, choke hold, clutch, command, control, grip, hold, mastery, sway; takeover; direction, jurisdiction, management; clout, might, pull, weight; eminence, importance, moment; prerogative, privilege, right

Near Antonyms

helplessness, weakness; impotence, impotency, powerlessness

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

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson will look to lead the Cards to new heights after Louisville got a taste of success and the spotlight last season.

— The Courier-Journal, "Get pumped for the season! Check out Louisville football's hype video," 29 Aug. 2017
The royals can be reserved to the point of hypoxia, in a mostly mute doggedness, viewed charitably as keeping calm and reigning on.

— karla adam, Washington Post, "Princes William and Harry are all grown up, and their mother would be proud," 28 Aug. 2017
This talented group is led by Morgan Chacon, the reigning Post-Tribune Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

— john o'malley, Post-Tribune, "Girls volleyball preview: Morgan Chacon, Crown Point seek one more step," 26 Aug. 2017
Indeed, Schubert is looking to become the first woman in her 20s to win the title since ’08, when Amanda Blumenhurst beat reigning NCAA champion Azahara Munoz.

— tod leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "It's an all-college final in U.S. Women's Amateur," 12 Aug. 2017
And the celestial spheres would reign, more or less untouched, until Copernicus and Galileo dislodged the Earth from the center of the universe, and in doing so ushered in the Enlightenment.

— ross andersen, The Atlantic, "The Eclipse as Dark Omen," 10 Aug. 2017
Size reigns as king in the land of the monkeys, and thus the Australian finds a measure of acceptance.

— leighshulman, Longreads, "In Foreign Territory, Wondering: Who is the Alpha Monkey?," 8 Aug. 2017
Reigning Mount Marathon champion and race record-holder David Norris will not defend his crown Tuesday.

— doyle woody, Alaska Dispatch News, "All eyes on Anchorage’s Scott Patterson in Mount Marathon men’s race," 2 July 2017
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.

— greg bishop, The MMQB, "The NFL's Optimism Season," 26 June 2017

First Known Use of reign

14th century

Other Government and Politics Terms

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

REIGN Defined for English Language Learners

reign

play

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