reign

American  

[reyn] / reɪn /

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 British  

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of reign

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

Example Sentences

Driving much of the streaming revenue growth was reigning pop star Taylor Swift, who earned the biggest album opening of all time in 2025 with her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”

From Los Angeles Times

Violetta, who could not join polite society, now reigns in the canon.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tudor, hired in part for having a positive short-term impact at the clubs he has managed, has overseen four consecutive defeats in a dismal 25-day reign since succeeding Thomas Frank on 14 February.

From BBC

With a Triple Crown on the line - and possibly a championship, too - there are more eyeballs on him now than at any point in his reign.

From BBC

Market volatility had been compressed, and complacency reigned.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate