(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
To ~ a place such as a country, or its people, means to be officially in charge of the place, and to have responsibility for making laws, managing the economy, and controlling public services.
They go to the polls on Friday to choose the people they want to ~ their country...
Their citizens are very thankful they are not ~ed by a dictator.
= rule
VERB: V n, V n
2.
If a situation or activity is ~ed by a particular factor, rule, or force, it is controlled by that factor, rule, or force.
Marine insurance is ~ed by a strict series of rules and regulations...
The ~ment has altered the rules ~ing eligibility for unemployment benefit.
VERB: be V-ed by n, V n