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
Synonyms
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
Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Yet for a monarch all too accustomed to Middle East crises, the Oval Office meeting Tuesday was one of the most pivotal of his 25-year reign, despite the friendly overtones.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
But now the full ruling is out, there is only one winner — the reigning Premier League champions.
—Dan Sheldon, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for reign 
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Noun
Graham, another former Arsenal player turned manager, delivered two league titles and four cups during his near nine-year reign at Highbury, and was the master of the 1-0 win.
—Amy Lawrence, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Yet for a monarch all too accustomed to Middle East crises, the Oval Office meeting Tuesday was one of the most pivotal of his 25-year reign, despite the friendly overtones.
—Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Feb. 2025
Verb
Justin Allgaier, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, has clinched pole position for the United Rentals 300.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 15 Feb. 2025
But now the full ruling is out, there is only one winner — the reigning Premier League champions.
—Dan Sheldon, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for reign
Dictionary Entries Near reign
Cite this Entry
“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 20 Feb. 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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