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.

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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

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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

“This show is such a great opportunity to begin my career in this genre — now, I want to continue my reign of terror.”

From Los Angeles Times

The former midfielder won 73 caps for Italy and was a member of their 2006 World Cup-winning side, but his reign as manager could be cut short if they lose to Northern Ireland.

From BBC

I went through a vegan phase in high school, back when soy reigned supreme in the plant-based aisle.

From Salon

Venkatesham, who comes under special scrutiny from fans given his Arsenal links, must get this next move right after Tudor's chaotic reign has brought only one win in seven matches so far.

From BBC

But Welbeck continued to deliver for the Seagulls with a double, to defeat reigning champions Liverpool, and take his tally to 12 goals for the season.

From BBC

Related Words

• dominate
• govern
• hold sway
• occupy
• predominate