Reign

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Reign, n. [OE. regne, OF. reigne, regne, F. règne, fr. L. regnum, fr. rex, regis, a king, fr. regere to guide, rule. See Regal, Regimen.].

•  Royal authority; supreme power; sovereignty; rule; dominion.  [1913 Webster]

  "He who like a father held his reign."  [1913 Webster]

  "Saturn's sons received the threefold reign
  Of heaven, of ocean, and deep hell beneath."  [1913 Webster]
•  The territory or sphere which is reigned over; kingdom; empire; realm; dominion.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

  "[God] him bereft the regne that he had."  [1913 Webster]
•  The time during which a king, queen, or emperor possesses the supreme authority; as, it happened in the reign of Elizabeth.  [1913 Webster]

Reign, v. i. [OE. regnen, reinen, OF. regner, F. régner, fr. L. regnare, fr. regnum. See Reign, n.].

•  To possess or exercise sovereign power or authority; to exercise government, as a king or emperor;; to hold supreme power; to rule.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "We will not have this man to reign over us."  [1913 Webster]

  "Shall Banquo's issue ever
  Reign in this kingdom?"  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, to be predominant; to prevail.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]
•  To have superior or uncontrolled dominion; to rule.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To rule; govern; direct; control; prevail.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Reign, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 hold royal office; be king or queen.
2 prevail; hold sway (confusion reigns).
3 (as reigning adj.) (of a winner, champion, etc.) currently holding the title etc.
--n.
1 sovereignty, rule.
2 the period during which a sovereign rules.

Etymology

ME f. OF reigne kingdom f. L regnare f. rex regis king

THESAURUS

Reign

administration, ascendancy, authority, averageness, be in, be in force, be the rage, be the rule, be the thing, bear reign, call the shots, charisma, charm, civil government, claws, clout, clutches, command, commonality, commonness, consequence, control, credit, currency, direct, direction, discipline, dispensation, disposition, dominance, dominate, domination, domineer, dominion, effect, eminence, empery, empire, enchantment, esteem, extensiveness, favor, force, form of government, good feeling, govern, governance, government, grip, habitualness, hand, hands, hegemony, hold, importance, incidental power, influence, influentiality, insinuation, iron hand, jurisdiction, kingdom, lead, leadership, leverage, magnetism, manage, management, mastery, moment, monarchy, normality, obtain, ordinariness, overrule, oversight, personality, persuasion, political organization, polity, potency, power, predominance, predominate, preponderance, preponderate, pressure, prestige, prevail, prevalence, purchase, raj, rampantness, regime, regimen, regnancy, regulation, repute, rifeness, routineness, rule, rule over, rule the roost, run, say, sovereignty, standardness, suasion, subtle influence, suggestion, supervise, supervision, supremacy, suzerainty, sway, sweepingness, system of government, talons, upper hand, usualness, wear the crown, weight, whip hand, widespreadness, wield the scepter

ROGET THESAURUS

Reign

Government

N government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown, government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

VB govern, rule, have authority, hold authority, possess authority, exercise authority, exert authority, wield authority, reign, be sovereign, ascend the throne, mount the throne, take the reins, take the reins into one's hand, assume authority, assume the reins of government, take command, assume command, politics, be governed by, be in the power of, be a subject of, be a citizen of.

Influence

N influence, importance, weight, pressure, preponderance, prevalence, sway, predominance, predominancy, ascendency, dominance, reign, control, domination, pull, authority, capability, effect, interest, synergy (cooperation), footing, purchase, play, leverage, vantage ground, tower of strength, host in himself, protection, patronage, auspices, influential, effective, important, weighty, prevailing, prevalent, rife, rampant, dominant, regnant, predominant, in the ascendant, hegemonical, with telling effect, tel maure tel valet.