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
Mark Hughes, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
But like all evil, the reign of the KKK in Anaheim eventually ended.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
The loss was the team’s first at Dignity Health Sports Park in 22 games and made the Galaxy the first reigning MLS champion to lose their season opener to an expansion team.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reign
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Noun
The prequel series tells the tragedy of the creation of Darth Vader, setting up his evil reign alongside Emperor Palpatine (portrayed by Ian McDiarmid) in the original trilogy of Star Wars films.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
But like all evil, the reign of the KKK in Anaheim eventually ended.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
After back-to-back blowout losses to championship contenders — the first by 37 points to the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, then another lopsided defeat in Boston against the reigning champion Celtics — the Knicks couldn’t afford to let this one slip away.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
The loss was the team’s first at Dignity Health Sports Park in 22 games and made the Galaxy the first reigning MLS champion to lose their season opener to an expansion team.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 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 4 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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