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
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
Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Batman gets his man, though, locking Riddler in Arkham Asylum and putting an end to his reign of chaos.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The reigning world champions went into the game without Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala and Lisandro Martinez, all missing due to injury, while Rodrigo De Paul only made the bench.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
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Noun
Odom assumed the reigns of the VCU program following two seasons at Utah State that produced a 44-25 record.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
Batman gets his man, though, locking Riddler in Arkham Asylum and putting an end to his reign of chaos.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025
Verb
In the vast plains of North America, a formidable predator once reigned supreme.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The reigning world champions went into the game without Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala and Lisandro Martinez, all missing due to injury, while Rodrigo De Paul only made the bench.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, The Athletic, 23 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
Cite this Entry
“Reign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reign. Accessed 28 Mar. 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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