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
Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In Nashville this September, the pop concert reigns.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Still, there are few -- if any teams -- in the league with a better roster from top to bottom than the reigning champs.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
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Noun
It was announced that Chloe Malle will take the reigns as the new ‘Head of Editorial Content’ at Vogue.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
In Nashville this September, the pop concert reigns.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts helped seal Philadelphia’s win on the final drive by converting a third-and-3 with a scramble up the middle, eliciting cheers from the crowd for the reigning Super Bowl MVP.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
Still, there are few -- if any teams -- in the league with a better roster from top to bottom than the reigning champs.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 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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