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 of reign
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
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2025
The film’s accompanying soundtrack has also been one of the biggest records of the year, having now spent 19 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, with a peak chart position of Number One (its reign was only thwarted by Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Following the death of long-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla inherited a trove of pieces from the late royal’s collection.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
The 1961 film marked Buñuel’s return to filmmaking in Spain, which was then well into Francisco Franco’s reign as dictator, after more than two decades of taking refuge in the United States and directing features in Mexico.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2025
The film’s accompanying soundtrack has also been one of the biggest records of the year, having now spent 19 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums chart, with a peak chart position of Number One (its reign was only thwarted by Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl).
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
Moss’s teammate, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, thinks Moss’s race has something to do with it.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Following the death of long-reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Camilla inherited a trove of pieces from the late royal’s collection.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 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 6 Nov. 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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