1
a
: royal authority : sovereignty
under the reign of the Stuart kings
b
: the dominion, sway, or influence of one resembling a monarch
the reign of the Puritan ministers
2
: the time during which someone (such as a sovereign) reigns
reigned; reigning; reigns
1
a
: to possess or exercise sovereign power : rule
b
: to hold office as chief of state although possessing little governing power
in England the sovereign reigns but does not rule
2
: to exercise authority in the manner of a monarch
3
: to be predominant or prevalent
chaos reigned in the classroom
Synonyms
Examples of reign in a Sentence
Noun
She was a popular ruler throughout her reign.
the reign of Queen Elizabeth
his reign as department chairperson
her reign as team president
his reign as heavyweight boxing champion
the reign of digital technology
Verb
The king reigned in a time of peace and prosperity.
The lion reigns as king of the jungle.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 27 Nov. 2024
But is Google’s reign as a synonym for ‘search’ nearing its end?
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 30 Nov. 2024
Prior to the November games, Taylor last attended an Oct. 7 game between the reigning Super Bowl champions and the New Orleans Saints.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reign 
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Noun
By papal standards, his reign was illustrious reign.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 27 Nov. 2024
But is Google’s reign as a synonym for ‘search’ nearing its end?
—Sandy Carter, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Verb
The reigning Super Bowl champions entered the short week looking to tighten up after facing criticism for their offensive line play and string of one-score games.
—Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 30 Nov. 2024
Prior to the November games, Taylor last attended an Oct. 7 game between the reigning Super Bowl champions and the New Orleans Saints.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reign
Dictionary Entries Near reign
Cite this Entry
“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reign
1 of 2 noun1
: the authority or rule of a monarch
2
: the time during which a monarch reigns
reign
2 of 2 verb1
: to govern as a monarch
2
: to exercise authority in the manner of a monarch
3
: to be usual or widespread
silence reigned
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