1
as in ruled
to exercise authority or power over
the president is elected in order to govern the country, not to follow public opinion polls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in regulated
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
you need to govern your speech and be able to communicate your outrage without resorting to profanity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in operated
to look after and make decisions about
the company's finances are governed by its chief financial officer
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in controlled
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of governed
TIME.com, 24 Mar. 2025
So, while the incumbent Social Democratic Party took a beating and the far right made gains in the German election, the big winner was the Christian Democratic Union, a normal center-right party that governed Germany as recently as 2021.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 21 Mar. 2025
The ability to form short-term memories is governed by the hippocampi, two structures which lie deep within both brain hemispheres.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
At institutional level, Irish football north and south has been so poorly governed.
—Michael Walker, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
Is your data well governed, clean and managed scalably?
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
It’s just got to be governed really carefully and thought about really carefully.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
But in an email to the Charlotte Observer, the agency said the placement of mobile homes is governed by federal, state and local regulations.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025
The airport is governed by a seven-member board.
—Skyler Swisher, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
To the extent permitted by law, these Terms shall be governed by, subject to and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, United States of America, excluding all conflict of law rules.
—TIME.com, 24 Mar. 2025
So, while the incumbent Social Democratic Party took a beating and the far right made gains in the German election, the big winner was the Christian Democratic Union, a normal center-right party that governed Germany as recently as 2021.
—Ian Millhiser, Vox, 21 Mar. 2025
The ability to form short-term memories is governed by the hippocampi, two structures which lie deep within both brain hemispheres.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 20 Mar. 2025
At institutional level, Irish football north and south has been so poorly governed.
—Michael Walker, The Athletic, 20 Mar. 2025
Is your data well governed, clean and managed scalably?
—Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
It’s just got to be governed really carefully and thought about really carefully.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2025
But in an email to the Charlotte Observer, the agency said the placement of mobile homes is governed by federal, state and local regulations.
—Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, 19 Mar. 2025
The airport is governed by a seven-member board.
—Skyler Swisher, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for governed
Verb
-
For every song of his that became a global mainstay, one of his raw, evocative mixtapes simultaneously ruled the streets of Kingston.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
6 Jan. 2025
-
The third-round draft pick fractured his forearm in the game, and afterward McVay ruled him out for the postseason.—
Adam Grosbard,
Orange County Register,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The last time three Rivet Joint jets operated from Kadena Air Base was in mid-2023.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
-
Yet these complex systems can fail for any number of reasons, and, sometimes, these components may be operated by third-party providers in the cloud, too.—
Ann Schlemmer,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The company’s new policy aims to address these challenges and create a more controlled and welcoming environment—reflecting broader industry trends where other retailers have adopted similar measures.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
-
The notion that rival great powers should come together to manage a chaotic international system is one that leaders have embraced at many points in history, often in the wake of catastrophic wars that left them seeking to establish a more controlled, reliable, and resilient order.—
Stacie E. Goddard,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Currently, the disposal of wind turbine waste is regulated by the localities and states hosting wind turbine projects.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Dietary supplements are minimally regulated by the FDA and may or may not be suitable for you.—
Amy Fischer MS, RD,
Health,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Argentina won the World Cup in 2022, something Brazil have not managed in over two decades and don’t look like doing any time soon.—
Jack Lang,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
-
To the extent that my younger self had ever managed to conjure up a vision of a dream career (not including winning the Olympics as a runner), this was it.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside Online,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Many of the posts contained hateful messages about Muslim Americans, the same type of bigotry O'Reilly had fought against.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Detroit Free Press,
3 Jan. 2025
-
Some of the genetic samples from the patient contained gene mutations that might help H5N1 infect people more easily.—
Sheryl Gay Stolberg,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
All told, Wager designed, and then supervised the production of 1,200 uniforms.—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
-
In his role, Alvarez prepared tax returns for customers and recruited and supervised ATAX workers who prepared tax returns for customers.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes,
19 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
In the comment sections, fans were excited that Kelce kept the same hair length.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
-
She had been trapped in an air pocket, created by a security door that reportedly led to an attic, which kept her alive.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Governed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/governed. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share