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Reign vs Govern - What's the difference?

reign | govern |

In intransitive terms the difference between reign and govern

is that reign is to exercise sovereign power, or to rule as a monarch while govern is to have or exercise a determining influence.

As a noun reign

is the exercise of sovereign power.

reign

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • The exercise of sovereign power.
  • England prospered under Elizabeth I.'s reign .
  • * Prior
  • Saturn's sons received the threefold reign / Of heaven, of ocean, and deep hell beneath.
  • The period during which a monarch rules.
  • The reign of Victoria was a long one.
  • The territory or sphere over which a kingdom; empire; realm; dominion, etc. is ruled.
  • (Spenser)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To exercise sovereign power, or to rule as a monarch
  • He reigned in an autocratic manner.

    govern

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.
  • To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.
  • Govern yourselves like civilized people.
    a student who could not govern his impulses.
  • To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.
  • Chance usually governs the outcome of the game.
  • To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.
  • a valve that governs fuel intake.
  • To exercise political authority; to run a government.
  • To have or exercise a determining influence.
  • To require that a certain preposition, grammatical case, etc. be used with a word; sometimes used synonymously with collocate.