governed; governing; governs
1
a
: to exercise continuous sovereign authority over
especially
: to control and direct the making and administration of policy in
The country was governed by a king.
b
: to rule without sovereign power and usually without having the authority to determine basic policy
2
a
archaic
: manipulate
b
: to control the speed of (a machine) especially by automatic means
3
a
: to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of
b
: to exert a determining or guiding influence in or over
income must govern expenditure
c
: to hold in check : restrain
was told to govern her emotions
4
: to require (a word) to be in a certain case
5
: to serve as a precedent or deciding principle for
customs that govern human decisions
1
: to prevail or have decisive influence : control
In all situations allow reason to govern.
2
: to exercise authority
Examples of govern in a Sentence
The tribe is governed by a 10-member council.
They want to form their own country and govern themselves.
The scandal limited her ability to govern effectively.
How would he govern if he were elected president?
She suggested changing the state's laws governing the sale of alcohol.
The council governs fishing in the region.
We will be studying the forces that govern the Earth's climate.
Tradition governs all aspects of their lives.
He allows himself to be governed by his emotions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Representatives from the five national governing bodies (NGBs) will convene at least every two weeks.
—
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 4 Mar. 2025
There’s no national governing body for swim instructors.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
The Harvard Corporation, the more powerful of Harvard’s two governing boards, brought an inquiry to a close with Gay’s coöperation.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Germany’s far right To make matters worse, as Merz recognized, Trump’s team seems bent on pressing Merz to bring the AfD into a governing coalition.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for govern
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 4 Mar. 2025
There’s no national governing body for swim instructors.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
The Harvard Corporation, the more powerful of Harvard’s two governing boards, brought an inquiry to a close with Gay’s coöperation.
—Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
Germany’s far right To make matters worse, as Merz recognized, Trump’s team seems bent on pressing Merz to bring the AfD into a governing coalition.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for govern
Cite this Entry
“Govern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/govern. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
govern
verb
gov·ern
ˈgəv-ərn 
1
: to exercise authority over : rule
the queen governed wisely
2
: to control the speed of by automatic means
3
a
: to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of
governed by his emotions
b
: to hold in check : restrain
our income governs our spending
4
: to require a word to be in a certain case or mood
in English a transitive verb governs a pronoun in the objective case
5
: to serve as a rule or law for
etiquette governing their behavior
Legal Definition
govern
transitive verb
gov·ern
ˈgə-vərn
1
: to exercise continuous sovereign authority over
especially
: to control and direct the administration of policy in
2
: to exert a determining or guiding influence in or over
the testator's assets are governed by will substitutes—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.3
: to serve as a precedent or deciding principle for
the law governing bills of lading
United States v. Leon governs the case at bar
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