# reign

Pronunciation: say "RAYN" /ɹeɪn/

## Noun

1. The period during which a monarch holds and exercises rule.
   - Simple: The length of time that a king or queen rules a country.
   - _Queen Victoria's reign spanned much of the nineteenth century._
   - _The young king's reign began amid widespread political turmoil._
3. The exercise of sovereign power held by a monarch.
   - Simple: The act of ruling with the full power of a king or queen.
   - _His reign extended to every corner of public life, leaving nothing unregulated._
   - _Absolute reign gave the emperor power over law, army, and church alike._
6. The territory or sphere over which a monarch's rule extends.
   - Simple: The land or area that a king or queen rules over.
   - _The empire's reign stretched from the great river to the distant mountains._
   - _Travelers crossed the borders of her reign without paying any toll._

## Verb

2. To hold supreme authority over a realm as its king or queen.
   - Simple: To rule a country as its king or queen.
   - _Monarchs once reigned by claiming their authority came from God._
   - _He longed to reign, but the crown passed to his younger brother._
4. Of a feeling or condition such as chaos or silence, to prevail throughout a place or situation.
   - Simple: To be the strongest feeling or quality in a place or moment.
   - _Chaos reigned in the streets after the sudden announcement._
   - _In that household, strict order seemed to reign at all hours._
5. To hold the title as the most recent winner of a competition.
   - Simple: To be the most recent winner of a contest and still hold the title.
   - _The defending side reigned over the league for three straight seasons._
   - _They reign as the current world champions after their decisive victory._
7. To rule a country, exercising sovereign power over it. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: To rule a country directly as its king or queen.
   - _He reigned the realm for nearly thirty years before abdicating._
   - _No single ruler could reign so many scattered provinces effectively._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English "regnen," from Old French "reignier," which goes back to the Latin verb "rēgnō" and noun "rēgnum." It is a doublet of "regnum" and replaced the native Old English "rīċe" (a reign) and "ricsian" (to reign).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/reign (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).