reign

[reyn]

noun

1. the period during which a sovereign occupies the throne.

2. royal rule or authority; sovereignty.

   Synonyms: suzerainty, dominion

3. dominating power or influence.

   the reign of law.

verb (used without object)

1. to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority.

   Synonyms: prevail, govern, rule
   Antonyms: obey

2. to hold the position and name of sovereign without exercising the ruling power.

3. to have control, rule, or influence of any kind.

4. to predominate; be prevalent.

reign

/ reɪn /

noun

1. the period during which a monarch is the official ruler of a country

2. a period during which a person or thing is dominant, influential, or powerful

   the reign of violence is over

verb

1. to exercise the power and authority of a sovereign

2. to be accorded the rank and title of a sovereign without having ruling authority, as in a constitutional monarchy

3. to predominate; prevail

   a land where darkness reigns

4. (usually present participle) to be the most recent winner of a competition, contest, etc

   the reigning heavyweight champion

Usage

Reign is sometimes wrongly written for rein in certain phrases: he gave full rein (not reign ) to his feelings; it will be necessary to rein in (not reign in ) public spending

Other Word Forms

• interreign verb (used without object)
• nonreigning adjective
• outreign verb (used with object)
• unreigning adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reign¹

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English noun reine, regne, from Old French reigne, from Latin regnum “realm, reign,” derivative of reg- (stem of rēx ) “king”; Middle English verb reinen, regnen, from Old French reignier, from Latin regnāre, derivative of regnum

Word History and Origins

Origin of reign¹

C13: from Old French reigne , from Latin rēgnum kingdom, from rēx king

Example Sentences

And yet, instead of being lauded for these towering achievements, Levy's time at the top always be overshadowed for many fans by the lack of success associated with his reign.

From BBC

However, Roberts said Ohtani’s pregame catch play on Tuesday was cut short, and that the risk of overexerting the reigning National League MVP by having him make a full-length start Wednesday wasn’t worth it.

From Los Angeles Times

California’s court fight to reign in the president’s use of troops in Los Angeles now hangs on a 19th century law with grim origins and a Spaghetti Western-sounding moniker.

From Los Angeles Times

But while a reality check for Harry Brook at the start of his reign as white-ball captain should not be a trigger for drastic changes, neither can it be simply swept aside.

From BBC

The noise of the crowd that gathered was a marked change from the silence that had reigned over Altadena since January’s firestorm.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dominate 
• govern 
• hold sway www.thesaurus.com
• occupy 
• predominate