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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
The current World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther holds the records for the longest WWE Intercontinental Championship Reign (666 Days) and longest NXT United Kingdom Championship reign (870 days). David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024 There is still reason to believe that Gunther will hold the world title well into 2025 while Rhodes will continue his reign, too. Blake Oestriecher, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
Lee Trevino’s last visit to Little Rock came in May 1969, when the reigning U.S. Open champion won an exhibition match at Pleasant Valley Country Club against Tom Weiskopf and three other PGA Tour members, including Arkansas’ R.H. Sikes. Frankie Frisco, arkansasonline.com, 23 Oct. 2024 The 2024-25 NBA season starts amid an era of change—fresh off a new round of media rights deals, a year removed from a new collective bargaining agreement, with its reigning champion about to go on the market. Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near reign

Cite this Entry

“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

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
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