reign

verb

reigned; reigning; reigns

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

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 on the Web

Sun, sea, sand and sangria have reigned supreme here for decades, from the hedonistic super clubs that provide its late-night soundtrack, to the beach bars overlooking its famous Balearic sunset. —Jaymi McCann, TheWeek, 4 June 2026

France, led by superstar Kylian Mbappé, is looking to make a third straight final and avenge last year’s title loss in penalties to reigning champion Argentina. —Greg Dudek, Boston Herald, 4 June 2026

On Lou Gehrig Day, baseball's reigning iron man came through with the biggest blow for the Atlanta Braves. —CBS News, 3 June 2026

Brunson’s pull-up 3-pointer presents a special wrinkle, one the Oklahoma City Thunder did not wield with two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. —Fred Katz, New York Times, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing reign

• reigned supreme
• reign of terror
• reign supreme

Rhymes for reign

• ane
• bane
• blain
• brain
• cane
• chaine
• cheyne
• deign
• drain
• fain
• fane
• feign

Kids Definition

reign

1 of 2 noun

ˈrān 

1

: the authority or rule of a monarch

2

: the time during which a monarch reigns

reign

2 of 2 verb

1

: to govern as a monarch

2

: to exercise authority in the manner of a monarch

3

: to be usual or widespread

silence reigned