I. ˈrān noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English rein, regne, from Old French reigne, regne, from Latin regnum reign, from reg-, rex king — more at royal
1.
a. : royal authority : the power or rule of a monarch : sovereignty
crown prince … assumed active reign from his father — Current Biography
under the reign of the Stuart kings
b. : the dominion, sway, or influence of one resembling or held to resemble a monarch
the reign of the … Puritan ministers was stern and intolerant — W.L.Sperry
the full reign of egotism as the ideal behind action — S.L.A.Marshall
assuring the reign of justice for all — Loyola University Bulletin
2. archaic : the territory or sphere that is reigned over : empire , kingdom , realm
the pole, Nature's remotest reign — P.B.Shelley
3. : the period of time during which someone (as a monarch) or something reigns
the 20th year of the queen's reign
at the beginning of his reign as president of the college
the reign of Sanskrit … was longer than that of Greek and Latin — Times Literary Supplement
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English reignen, regnen, from Old French regner, from Latin regnare, from regnum reign
1.
a. : to possess or exercise sovereign power : hold supreme authority in a state : govern as king, emperor, or other royal ruler : hold supreme power and dignity in a kingdom or empire : govern , rule
Holy City … where Christ, the Lamb, doth reign — W.R.Bowie
b. : to hold office as chief of state (as in a kingdom) without exercising more than minimal powers of making and executing governmental policy : have limited or nominal sovereignty
the queen … reigns but does not rule — British Parliament
an Arab sultan reigns but British administrators … rule — Orville Prescott
the royal governor both reigned and ruled — D.W.Brogan
will be the constitutional head of his country and will be above party and politics, an arbitrator and conciliator. He will not govern but will reign — New York Times
2. : to exercise authority or hold sway in the manner of a monarch
the archbishop … reigns as supreme moral authority on this island — George Weller
in the countryside … the priest reigns most completely — Paul Blanshard
the campus queen reigned over the weekend festivities
3. : to be predominant or prevalent : predominate , prevail
these forests have reigned supreme for countless millennia — W.H.Hodge
commotion … reigned through the house — E.J.Simmons
a complete silence still reigned inside — T.B.Costain