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
Synonyms
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.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Marc Schneider, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2023
Barker, who handed the reigns of the show to Drew Carey in 2007, has received 19 Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Other artifacts demonstrating the artistic innovation of the pharaoh’s reign include golden masks, carved sarcophagi, ornate jewelry and even a mummified lion cub.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Generally, Victorian style refers to the reign of the British Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Nov. 2023
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth Foy passed the reins to award-winning actress Olivia Colman for seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown, which covered 1964 through 1990 of the Queen's reign.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 15 Nov. 2023
The immersive show, which premiered in Houston in 2021, offers an expansive look into the reign of Ramses II, one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Only an agreement like this would ensure lasting peace on Israel’s borders, close the door to radical forces among Palestinians, contain the shadow war between Iran and Israel, and reign in Tehran’s axis of resistance.
—Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2023
The image showed King Charles and Queen Camilla alongside Prince William and Princess Kate plus their three kids — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the first official birthday parade of King Charles’ reign.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023
John Bleasdale, Variety, 3 Dec. 2023
Followed by Swift is Bad Bunny, who has reigned at No. 1 for the past two years.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
But for the past six days, relative quiet has reigned.
—Ben Hubbard, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Related The special will feature nearly 50 performances, including from reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson, as well as Thomas Rhett, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 29 Nov. 2023
Birmingham’s versatile Peyton Waters, the reigning City player of the year, is going for his third consecutive title.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Whereas private things rising from within ourselves had once reigned, public things, coming from outside, now take pride of place.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2023
These efforts would constitute a longer-term investment in an ideologically diverse Russia and would help remind Russians that there are alternatives to the reigning ideology—that, in other words, another Russia is not impossible.
—Maria Snegovaya, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Fans were quick to jokingly call out the Eagles for invoking Swift in order to more personally tease Travis’ team of reigning Super Bowl champions.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023
See More
Noun
Caroline Woodfield will hand over the reigns of the division to Nathan Wentworth in April, while MOA artist manager Trevor Newman will return in the same role.
—Marc Schneider, Billboard, 1 Dec. 2023
Barker, who handed the reigns of the show to Drew Carey in 2007, has received 19 Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Other artifacts demonstrating the artistic innovation of the pharaoh’s reign include golden masks, carved sarcophagi, ornate jewelry and even a mummified lion cub.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Generally, Victorian style refers to the reign of the British Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Nov. 2023
Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth Foy passed the reins to award-winning actress Olivia Colman for seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown, which covered 1964 through 1990 of the Queen's reign.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 15 Nov. 2023
The immersive show, which premiered in Houston in 2021, offers an expansive look into the reign of Ramses II, one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Only an agreement like this would ensure lasting peace on Israel’s borders, close the door to radical forces among Palestinians, contain the shadow war between Iran and Israel, and reign in Tehran’s axis of resistance.
—Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2023
The image showed King Charles and Queen Camilla alongside Prince William and Princess Kate plus their three kids — Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 — on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the first official birthday parade of King Charles’ reign.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 14 Nov. 2023
Verb
After suggesting the magazine buy him a couple of bottles of wine to make up for the distress caused to some family members, the publishers sent him a couple of crates and peace reigned.
—John Bleasdale, Variety, 3 Dec. 2023
Followed by Swift is Bad Bunny, who has reigned at No. 1 for the past two years.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023
But for the past six days, relative quiet has reigned.
—Ben Hubbard, New York Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Related The special will feature nearly 50 performances, including from reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson, as well as Thomas Rhett, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 29 Nov. 2023
Birmingham’s versatile Peyton Waters, the reigning City player of the year, is going for his third consecutive title.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Whereas private things rising from within ourselves had once reigned, public things, coming from outside, now take pride of place.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2023
These efforts would constitute a longer-term investment in an ideologically diverse Russia and would help remind Russians that there are alternatives to the reigning ideology—that, in other words, another Russia is not impossible.
—Maria Snegovaya, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Fans were quick to jokingly call out the Eagles for invoking Swift in order to more personally tease Travis’ team of reigning Super Bowl champions.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reign.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English regne, from Anglo-French, from Latin regnum, from reg-, rex king — more at royal
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of reign was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing reign
Dictionary Entries Near reign
Cite this Entry
“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on reign
Nglish: Translation of reign for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of reign for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share