govern Hear it!

govern Definition

gov·ern (guv′ərn)

transitive verb

  1. to exercise authority over; rule, administer, direct, control, manage, etc.
  2. to influence the action or conduct of; guide; sway to govern public opinion
  3. to hold in check; restrain; curb to govern one's temper
  4. to regulate the speed of (an automobile, etc.) by means of a governor
  5. to be a rule or law for; determine the scientific principles governing a phenomenon
  6. Gram.: used as of prepositions with noun cases, esp. in highly inflected languages, and, in English, more loosely, of any interrelationship between forms, as that between a preposition and a following pronoun
    1. to require (a word) to be in a certain case or mood
    2. to require (a particular case or mood)

Etymology: ME governen < OFr gouverner < L gubernare, to pilot (a ship), direct, guide < Gr kybernan, to steer, govern, prob. of non-IE orig.

intransitive verb

to exercise the function of governing; rule

govern Related Forms
gov′·ern·able adjective
govern Synonyms

govern

v.

rule, command, administer, reign, legislate, oversee, hold dominion, hold sway, occupy the throne, assume command, hold office, serve the people, administer the laws, exercise authority, be in power, supervise, superintend, direct, dictate, lay down the law, tyrannize, wield the scepter*, wear the crown*, hold the reins of empire*.

govern implies the exercise of authority in controlling the actions of the members of a body politic and directing the affairs of state, and generally connotes as its purpose the maintenance of public order and the promotion of the common welfare; rule now usually signifies the exercise of arbitrary or autocratic power; administer implies the orderly management of governmental or institutional affairs by executive officials

govern Usage Examples

Object

  • body: The governing body could then throw the whole scheme out.
  • reproduction: Conditions governing reproduction: Material to be copied by Library Staff only.
  • document: The Charity's governing document requires a minimum of three trustees to be in post.
  • equation: At the basis of solution of such equations is a discretisation of the governing equations on a given mesh.
  • conduct: Q Why does the CIA need an exemption from rules that would govern the conduct of our military in interrogation practices?
  • universe: Come back to the most natural system of administration which governs the whole universe.

Subject

  • law: Which areas of life are governed by European law?
  • constitution: VSSN is governed by a constitution with charitable objects, although its income is currently below the level where charity registration is needed.
  • rule: Use of the room is governed by the room rules.
  • regulation: Both of these requirements are governed by Regulations, which require careful application to the situation of any affected employe.
  • principle: Not so in screen rendering and digital text cycles, which are governed by a re-flow principle.

Adjective complement

  • short-term: Experience see chart page which govern short-term a consensus at.

Present participle complement

  • accord: Austria has since been governed according to an orthodox Western European model.

Preposition: in

  • accordance: They promised to govern in accordance with the Assizes of Jerusalem, which were translated into Italian and published in Venice in 1535.

Preposition: with

  • instinct: I just want to govern with the common sense instincts of a proud people who believe in Britain.

Preposition: by

  • law: Which areas of life are governed by European law?
  • constitution: VSSN is governed by a constitution with charitable objects, although its income is currently below the level where charity registration is needed.
  • rule: Use of the room is governed by the room rules.
  • regulation: Both of these requirements are governed by Regulations, which require careful application to the situation of any affected employe.
  • principle: Not so in screen rendering and digital text cycles, which are governed by a re-flow principle.
govern Quotes

Toadminister istogovern; togovernistoreign.That isthe problem.

—Mirabeau, Honore¤   Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de

For a politician rises on the backs of his friends (that's probably all they're good for), but it's through his enemies he'll have to govern afterwards.

—Hughes, Richard Arthur Warren

He that would govern others, first should be The master of himself.

—Massinger, Philip

   I now speak of the sex in general. Many individuals have more sense than their male relatives; and†some women govern their husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect will always govern.

—Wollstonecraft, Mary also known as Mrs Godwin

The Right Divine of Kings to govern wrong.

—Pope, Alexander

Those that govern most make least noise.

—Selden,John