Govern

/ˈɡʌv.ən/ · verb

Meaning

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

Definitions by Sense

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

Example Sentences

The old king governed the land wisely.

Americans are not libertarians in the Cato Institute sense of the word, but they are folk libertarians in this sense of impulsive behaviour, which is a feature of American life that anyone who wants to govern the United States, Democratic or Republican, has to be aware of.

Govern yourselves like civilized people.

a student who could not govern his impulses

Find the strength, courage, and discipline to govern yourself or be governed by someone else.

Chance governs the outcome of many card games.

a valve that governs fuel intake

The weight and c.g. of the aircraft were within limits at takeoff and were calculated to have remained so until the tail began to disintegrate in flight. Both engines were developing a high level of power at impact, and the APU was rotating at or near governed speed. The landing gear, flaps, and spoiler/speed brakes were retracted. There was no evidence of structural or system failures other than those directly resulting from the fire.

Synonyms for govern

Antonyms for govern

Related Words

Word Forms

• governs
• governing
• governed

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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