Govern

Quick meaning: Govern is a verb meaning (transitive) To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.

Meaning

(transitive) To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.

More Meanings

1. (intransitive) To exercise political authority; to run a government.
2. (transitive) To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.
3. (transitive) To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.
4. (intransitive) To have or exercise a determining influence.
5. (transitive, obsolete) To handle, to manage, to oversee (a matter, an affair, a household, etc.).
6. (transitive) To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.
7. (transitive, obsolete) To direct the course of, to guide in some direction, to steer.

Example Sentences

a valve that governs fuel intake

The old king governed the land wisely.

Govern yourselves like civilized people.

a student who could not govern his impulses

Word Forms

• governs
• governing
• governed

Synonyms for govern

Depending on context, synonyms include collocate, order, rule, regulate, regularize.

Antonyms for govern

Common opposites include deregulate.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include regulate, rule, regularize, order, dictate, dominate.

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