reign

Pronunciation

• enPR: rān
• IPA ^(key): /reɪn/
• SAMPA: /reIn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophones: rain, rein

Verb

Plain form reign

Third-person singular reigns

Past tense reigned

Past participle reigned

Present participle reigning

1. If you reign you rule or lead a country. Usually, this means you are a king or queen (not someone elected).

   He reigned over in England long ago.

   Pope John Paul I reigned for 33 days in 1978 -- "Obituaries: The Smiling Pope," New York Times. November 6, 1978

Noun

Singular reign

Plural reigns

1. A reign is the period of time in which a person rules as monarch of a state or nation.

   Queen Victoria's reign over Great Britain lasted from 1837 to 1901.

2. A reign is an entire dynasty's time ruling. A reign usually ends when the person has died, resigned, or the country has been conquered.

   His reign lasted 40 years until the Mongolians conquered his country.