reign

1 of 2

noun

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

reign

2 of 2

verb

reigned; reigning; reigns

intransitive verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
It was announced on Wednesday that directing legend Denis Villeneuve would be the first James Bond director under the new Amazon reign, diving into the lore of the legendary secret agent some time after his next Dune movie. Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025 The film, released in 1991, explored the expulsion of the Indian minority from Uganda during the reign of Idi Amin. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 June 2025
Verb
Mexico is the reigning Gold Cup champion and is looking to repeat at this summer's tournament. Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025 Here, the reigning King of the Mountains has been tasked with an alternative brief. Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for reign

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English regne, from Anglo-French, from Latin regnum, from reg-, rex king — more at royal

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of reign was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

reign

1 of 2 noun
1
: the authority or rule of a monarch
2
: the time during which a monarch reigns

reign

2 of 2 verb
1
: to govern as a monarch
2
: to exercise authority in the manner of a monarch
3
: to be usual or widespread
silence reigned

More from Merriam-Webster on reign

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!