governed; governing; governs
1
a
: to exercise continuous sovereign authority over
especially
: to control and direct the making and administration of policy in
The country was governed by a king.
b
: to rule without sovereign power and usually without having the authority to determine basic policy
2
a
archaic
: manipulate
b
: to control the speed of (a machine) especially by automatic means
3
a
: to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of
b
: to exert a determining or guiding influence in or over
income must govern expenditure
c
: to hold in check : restrain
was told to govern her emotions
4
: to require (a word) to be in a certain case
5
: to serve as a precedent or deciding principle for
customs that govern human decisions
1
: to prevail or have decisive influence : control
In all situations allow reason to govern.
2
: to exercise authority
Synonyms
Examples of govern in a Sentence
The tribe is governed by a 10-member council.
They want to form their own country and govern themselves.
The scandal limited her ability to govern effectively.
How would he govern if he were elected president?
She suggested changing the state's laws governing the sale of alcohol.
The council governs fishing in the region.
We will be studying the forces that govern the Earth's climate.
Tradition governs all aspects of their lives.
He allows himself to be governed by his emotions.
Recent Examples on the Web
The company was able to do so by exploiting the arcane water policies governing the Colorado River.
—
Maanvi Singh, WIRED, 20 Apr. 2024
Britain’s governing Conservative Party hopes that lower inflation and falling interest rates may trigger a feelgood factor ahead of a general election that has to take place by January 2025.
—Pan Pylas, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
Doug Freitas, an almond grower who owns property in areas governed by three different groundwater agencies, said each agency has been talking about what to do next.
—Amy Taxin, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
Teachers and administrators shared their lingering unease during governing board meetings.
—Yana Kunichoff, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
One thing to look for is whether or not they are fully licensed and regulated by a governing body.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
After weeks of tense negotiations, a new transitional framework for governing Haiti over the next two years and creating a path toward eventual elections was officially created Friday.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Randomness governs lots of processes in the world, from stock markets, to internet gossip, to the spread of disease and the activity of bacteria in a Petri dish.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
First, cats are arguably in the zeitgeist right now — for whatever reasons govern such things.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Maanvi Singh, WIRED, 20 Apr. 2024
Britain’s governing Conservative Party hopes that lower inflation and falling interest rates may trigger a feelgood factor ahead of a general election that has to take place by January 2025.
—Pan Pylas, Quartz, 17 Apr. 2024
Doug Freitas, an almond grower who owns property in areas governed by three different groundwater agencies, said each agency has been talking about what to do next.
—Amy Taxin, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2024
Teachers and administrators shared their lingering unease during governing board meetings.
—Yana Kunichoff, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
One thing to look for is whether or not they are fully licensed and regulated by a governing body.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
After weeks of tense negotiations, a new transitional framework for governing Haiti over the next two years and creating a path toward eventual elections was officially created Friday.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
Randomness governs lots of processes in the world, from stock markets, to internet gossip, to the spread of disease and the activity of bacteria in a Petri dish.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024
First, cats are arguably in the zeitgeist right now — for whatever reasons govern such things.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'govern.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near govern
Cite this Entry
“Govern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/govern. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
govern
verb
gov·ern
ˈgəv-ərn 
1
: to exercise authority over : rule
the queen governed wisely
2
: to control the speed of by automatic means
3
a
: to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of
governed by his emotions
b
: to hold in check : restrain
our income governs our spending
4
: to require a word to be in a certain case or mood
in English a transitive verb governs a pronoun in the objective case
5
: to serve as a rule or law for
etiquette governing their behavior
Legal Definition
govern
transitive verb
gov·ern
ˈgə-vərn
1
: to exercise continuous sovereign authority over
especially
: to control and direct the administration of policy in
2
: to exert a determining or guiding influence in or over
the testator's assets are governed by will substitutes—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.3
: to serve as a precedent or deciding principle for
the law governing bills of lading
United States v. Leon governs the case at bar
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