government 1 of 2

noun

ˈgə-vər(n)-mənt How to pronounce government (audio)
Definition of governmentnext
1
as in administration
lawful control over the affairs of a political unit (as a nation) government by the people, for the people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in management
the act or activity of looking after and making decisions about something a board involved in the government of the distribution of benefits to veterans

Synonyms & Similar Words

government

2 of 2

adjective

as in governmental

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 government
Noun
The federal government is giving $1,000 to children born between 2025 and 2028. — Cassidy Alexander, AJC.com, 22 July 2026 When poultry get infected, there is a near-zero chance of survival, so governments across the world have embarked on mass slaughter campaigns in infected farms to slow the spread. — Todd Symons, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Adjective
By that time, though, many of the ideas Hoan had championed had made their way into the Democratic Party in the proudly pro-government New Deal. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 14 July 2026 Other pro-government accounts portrayed the images as evidence that years of confrontation had given way to a more pragmatic relationship. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for government
Recent Examples of Synonyms for government
  1. administration
  2. management
  3. governmental
  4. governance
  5. supervision
  6. federal
  7. rule
  8. operation
Noun
  • The administration turned to a temporary 10% across-the-board tariff on most trading partners, but on Friday those expired.
    — Christine Romans, NBC news, 25 July 2026
  • Now protesters are using that same platform to mock his administration, ridicule pro-government television news coverage, transform confrontation with police into viral content and seize control of the online narrative.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of administration
Noun
  • Court records show that in early 2022, Arbuckle managed a team of more than 20 and helped forecast loan demand across major sectors of the bank, including corporate, commercial, wealth management and small-business banking.
    — Chase Jordan July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • Maritime risk-management company Marisks on Wednesday said the affected vessels were moved outside the port.
    — Salma Arafa, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Definition of management
Adjective
  • More than anything else, Murray said, general governmental dysfunction, including turnover among staff members involved in the negotiations, contributed to those delays.
    — Sofi Zeman July 30, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026
  • Established in the 1970s, Al-Madam was conceived as a governmental modernization effort aimed at reshaping the landscape during the unification of the seven emirates.
    — Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026
Definition of governmental
Noun
  • Gartner expects many agentic AI projects to be canceled because of cost, governance problems and unclear value.
    — Robert J. Szczerba, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • The Board can continue to tread water as the two parties hash out contract violations, payouts, and how to implement policy governance.
    — Elaine Gantz Berman, Denver Post, 27 July 2026
Definition of governance
Noun
  • Because Iran is a theocratic dictatorship that routinely arrests and in some cases executes journalists, Western reporters hoping to cover the country must either work clandestinely or submit to government supervision.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
  • The way to repair one's reputation is through quality, and quality comes in terms of making better decisions, better supervision, more accountability, proper disclosure and self-discipline.
    — Jon Michail, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of supervision
Adjective
  • The Oakwood and Flowery Branch police departments will help make immigration arrests, extending the reach of federal immigration enforcement inside Hall County, one of Georgia’s largest immigrant enclaves.
    — Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
  • Last week, a federal judge denied AT&T’s request for a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop state regulators from requiring the company to provide basic telephone services while a court case is decided.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of federal
Noun
  • Phillips may no longer be the focus of the ethics inquiry, but he could still be asked to answer questions or supply documents as the committee determines if Collins violated any laws or rules.
    — Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 27 July 2026
  • Rule 10 - The Banana Ball challenge rule Each manager gets one challenge per game that can be used at any moment — and the challenge is kept if the manager was correct.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 27 July 2026
Definition of rule
Noun
  • Thanks to aggressive American anti-drug operations and cooperation from Mexico, scores of top-level cartel figures have been sent to US custody in the past two years.
    — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • The suit alleges those employees knew the warehouse constructed on the property in 2022 would be used for fireworks storage and operations but did not enforce applicable safety and environmental requirements.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Definition of operation

Browse Nearby Words

governing
government
governmental
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Government.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/government. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on government

Nglish: Translation of government for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about government

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All