misgovern

verb

mis·​gov·​ern ˌmis-ˈgə-vərn 

misgoverned; misgoverning

transitive verb

: to rule or govern in a corrupt, wrong, or incompetent way

… but the success of the American Revolution is part of what encouraged French commoners to overthrow the noble class that had misgoverned them for generations.

—Ariel Bernier

Synonyms

• maladminister
• misconduct
• mishandle
• mismanage
• misrule

Examples of misgovern in a Sentence

the ruling party was soundly defeated at the polls for having disastrously misgoverned the country

Recent Examples on the Web

But a ruling class that systematically blinds itself to the most profound longings of human beings will misunderstand and misgovern those under its sway. —Benjamin and Jenna Storey, WSJ, 12 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

misgovern

verb

mis·​gov·​ern

(ˈ)mis-ˈgəv-ərn

: to govern badly

misgovernment

ˈgəv-ər(n)-mənt

-ə-mənt;

ˈgəb-ᵊm-ənt

ˈgəv-

noun