I. reign 1 /reɪn/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: regne , from Latin regnum , from rex 'king' ]
1 . the period when someone is king, queen, or ↑ emperor
reign of
changes that took place during Charlemagne’s reign
the reign of James I
2 . the period when someone is in charge of an organization, team etc:
during his reign at the Education Department
3 . a period during which something is the most powerful or most important feature of a place
reign of
the reign of Stalinism in Russia
4 . reign of terror a period when a ruler or a government kills many of their political opponents
II. reign 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
1 . to rule a nation or group of nations as their king, queen, or ↑ emperor :
George VI reigned from 1936 to 1952.
reign over
Pharaohs reigned over Egypt for centuries.
2 . literary if a feeling or quality reigns, it exists strongly for a period of time:
For several minutes confusion reigned.
Silence reigned while we waited for news.
3 . reigning champion the most recent winner of a competition:
Can he defeat the reigning Wimbledon champion?
4 . reign supreme if someone or something reigns supreme, they are the most important part of a situation or time:
It was a time when romance reigned supreme.