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
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
While there’s no single biomarker that can perfectly predict disease or mortality, there are many that reign supreme in understanding women’s overall health and disease risk.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
Essence, 2 Oct. 2025
After being an integral part of the team that beat reigning champion Denver in the conference semifinals before falling to Dallas, Conley limped into the offseason.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
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Noun
Ten years into the reign of the Dungeons & Dragons troupe turned multimedia savants, Critical Role isn’t just content with the start of their biggest campaign, launching their own streaming service, or even working on video games — there’s always room for more.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
While there’s no single biomarker that can perfectly predict disease or mortality, there are many that reign supreme in understanding women’s overall health and disease risk.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
While streaming revolutionized the television industry by changing the way audiences consume content, the fall season still reigns supreme in terms of premieres.
—Essence, 2 Oct. 2025
After being an integral part of the team that beat reigning champion Denver in the conference semifinals before falling to Dallas, Conley limped into the offseason.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 2 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 Oct. 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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