reign

1 of 2

noun

ˈrān 

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

reign

2 of 2

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

Synonyms of reign

Noun

• dominion
• domination
• dominance
• supremacy
• sovereignty

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

Noun

But Felix had his reign and has since put his content creation on the back burner. — Owen Carry, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

Nine months after an injury ended his reign as flyweight champion in just 26 seconds, the Brazilian returned to the octagon to try to reclaim the belt that slipped away. — Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Verb

Bremen has received more acclaim than Model for its 4-0 start, partly because of a rousing 38-19 victory in its opener against four-time reigning Class A champion Bowdon. — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Girls cross country Bishop Moore sophomore Annabella Tomasic, the reigning 3A state champ, clocked a time of 17 minutes, 24 seconds for 5,000 meters to win at the Katie Caples Invitational in Jacksonville. — Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

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

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