governing
adjective
gov·ern·ing
ˈgə-vər-niŋ
: serving to govern: such as
a
: directing and making decisions for a country, organization, etc.
the country's governing [=ruling] party/coalition
a five-member governing board/council
Event managers must always pay close attention to regulations, such as local and sports governing bodies' regulations …—Anastasia Nisenbaum
b
: directing or guiding the actions of someone or something
It's our … governing principle to treat people with dignity and with respect.—Cheryl Prichard, quoted in The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia)
… an effort to cleanse the International [architectural] style of its nonfunctional design elements and return to the principle of necessity as the governing factor.—The Encyclopedia of American Art
especially
: guiding the ideas, actions, decisions, etc. of a political leader or body
Some of the basic principles that Romans articulated as governing principles for their republic are principles that later republics adopted. —Edward Watts
… the candidates … displayed sharp contrasts in their governing philosophy. —Pat Bradley
see also self-governing
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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