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
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
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Despite his final appearance in the main series ending in 1987, Doctor 7 appeared in the 1996 TV film, handing over the reigns to Paul McGann.
7.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Ehud Barak, Time, 2 June 2025
Seven of those games will come against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
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Noun
In one of the more shocking upsets in UFC title fight history, Pena submitted Nunes in the second round, ending the Brazilian’s title reign.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Despite his final appearance in the main series ending in 1987, Doctor 7 appeared in the 1996 TV film, handing over the reigns to Paul McGann.
7.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
The only way to ensure Hamas cannot reign over Gaza and threaten Israel is by replacing it with another governing entity legitimate to the international community, Arab neighbors like Egypt, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and Palestinians themselves.
—Ehud Barak, Time, 2 June 2025
Seven of those games will come against the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
Cite this Entry
“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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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