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
Firms in the Program can propose but do not select their own targets, and require a federal contract and written government approval to operate. — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 American industry and government agencies have already supported workforce development and submarine technology efforts under AUKUS. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The film follows Lena (Lena Trifunović), an anarchist student active in Belgrade’s anti-government movement, and Stefan (Andrija Krivokapić), a working-class youth who finds himself, almost by chance, among pro-government loyalists. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 23 July 2026 Pro-government supporters stand next to a banner depicting a portrait of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a nightly rally in Tehran, Iran, on July 12, 2026. — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 16 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
  • Fazio said his administration would look closely into key positions that necessitate work be performed in-office and on-site, such as social workers responsible for monitoring child abuse cases.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Republican allies in Congress are busy trying to pass legislation that will formally repeal the CTA, thus preventing any future administration from restarting the database.
    — Casey Michel, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of administration
Noun
  • Emergency management is warning people in the area to expect smoke and traffic delays.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The package includes communications, electrical power, and thermal management systems.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of management
Adjective
  • At the same time, young Spaniards are leaving the country's more remote regions to pursue education and corporate jobs in major cities, leaving 42% of the country’s 8,000 villages at risk of total depopulation, according to governmental projections.
    — Liz Provencher, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The family is planning to sue the United States and other governmental and nongovernmental entities in connection to Daphy's death.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of governmental
Noun
  • Pairing that hardware with technical assistance is what professionalizes governance and brings local operations fully in line with the highest international environmental and engineering standards.
    — Rob Kaplan, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics Kevin Werbach explains why AI governance is so difficult, why companies can't be left to regulate themselves, and what governments need to do as AI becomes more powerful.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of governance
Noun
  • Other Wheatland School District campuses remained open Wednesday, Gouker said, with additional staff assigned for supervision and monitoring.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Nascimento is a consultant for the screenplay, written by Mariana Jaspe, under the supervision of Jaqueline Souza.
    — Marcelo Cajueiro, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of supervision
Adjective
  • The defense previously argued all the items in Mangione's backpack were obtained in an unconstitutional search, but judges in both the federal and state cases disagreed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In Minneapolis and New Orleans, CNN found once-bustling shops and restaurants growing quiet during federal immigration operations as some immigrants avoided work and parents kept children home from school.
    — Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of federal
Noun
  • Critics dismissed the polls, held in phases in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • For the first time, after decades of brutal Assad rule – by both Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad before him - the model of impunity in Syria has been broken, even if the penalty is unlikely to ever be carried out.
    — Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of rule
Noun
  • In Minneapolis and New Orleans, CNN found once-bustling shops and restaurants growing quiet during federal immigration operations as some immigrants avoided work and parents kept children home from school.
    — Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The operation drove more than 700,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh, joining hundreds of thousands of others already living there for decades in the wake of waves of previous violence perpetrated by Myanmar’s military.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 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 22 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 august

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All