reign

reign¹ [reın] n

[Date: 1200-1300; : 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

reign ²

reign² v

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.) [i]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.