Definitions for govern
ˈgʌv ərngov·ern

Princeton's WordNet(2.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. regulate, regularize, regularise, order, governverb

   bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations

   "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes to regulate"

2. governverb

   direct or strongly influence the behavior of

   "His belief in God governs his conduct"

3. govern, ruleverb

   exercise authority over; as of nations

   "Who is governing the country now?"

4. governverb

   require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood

   "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German"

Wiktionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. governverb

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

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

2. governverb

   To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

3. governverb

   To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.

   Chance usually governs the outcome of the game.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

4. governverb

   To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.

   a valve that governs fuel intake.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

5. governverb

   To exercise political authority; to run a government.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

6. governverb

   To have or exercise a determining influence.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

7. governverb

   To require that a certain preposition, grammatical case, etc. be used with a word; sometimes used synonymously with collocate.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Governverb

   to direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority

   Etymology: [OF. governer, F. gouverner, fr. L. gubernare to steer, pilot, govern, Gr. kyberna^n. Cf. Gubernatorial.]

2. Governverb

   to regulate; to influence; to direct; to restrain; to manage; as, to govern the life; to govern a horse

   Etymology: [OF. governer, F. gouverner, fr. L. gubernare to steer, pilot, govern, Gr. kyberna^n. Cf. Gubernatorial.]

3. Governverb

   to require to be in a particular case; as, a transitive verb governs a noun in the objective case; or to require (a particular case); as, a transitive verb governs the objective case

   Etymology: [OF. governer, F. gouverner, fr. L. gubernare to steer, pilot, govern, Gr. kyberna^n. Cf. Gubernatorial.]

4. Governverb

   to exercise authority; to administer the laws; to have the control

   Etymology: [OF. governer, F. gouverner, fr. L. gubernare to steer, pilot, govern, Gr. kyberna^n. Cf. Gubernatorial.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Govern

   guv′ėrn, v.t. to direct: to control: to rule with authority: (gram.) to determine the mood, tense, or case of.—v.i. to exercise authority: to administer the laws.—adj. Gov′ernable.—ns. Gov′ernall (Spens.), government; Gov′ernance, government: control: direction: behaviour; Governante (guv-ėr-nant′, or guv′-), a governess (obs.); Gov′erness, a lady who has charge of the instruction of young ladies: a tutoress (Daily-governess, one who goes every day to her pupils' house; Nursery-, having charge of young children only, tending as well as teaching them; Resident-, living in the family of her pupils).—v.i. to act as governess.—n. Gov′erness-cart, a light two-wheeled vehicle with two face-to-face seats at the sides only.—adj. Gov′erning, having control.—n. Gov′ernment, a ruling or managing: control: system of governing: the body of persons authorised to administer the laws, or to govern a state: the territory over which sovereign power extends: (gram.) the power of one word in determining the form of another: (Shak.) conduct.—adj. of or pursued by government.—adj. Government′al, pertaining to or sanctioned by government.—ns. Gov′ernor, a ruler: one invested with supreme authority: a tutor: (slang) a father or master: (mach.) a regulator, or contrivance for maintaining uniform velocity with a varying resistance: (B.) a pilot; Gov′ernor-gen′eral, the supreme governor in a country: a viceroy; Gov′ernorship.—Governmental theory (see Grotian). [O. Fr. governer—L. gubernāre—Gr. kybernan.]

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. govern

   To create, direct and manage using unifying, just, fair, ethical and moral thought, behavior, actions and all forms of unity governmental legislation.

   All forms of unity government throughout a country create with a sense of ethics and morality to govern a nation with respect and dignity and ensure all people have optimum health, human rights, right to life and a fair share of income, wealth and resources.

   Submitted by MaryC on February 15, 2020  

2. govern

   To direct and manage.

   The board of directors did govern justly and effectively.

   Submitted by MaryC on March 7, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. govern

   The govern symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the govern symbol and its characteristic.

Matched Categories

1. • Control
   • Require

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'govern' in Verbs Frequency: #622

How to pronounce govern?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say govern in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of govern in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of govern in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of govern in a Sentence

1. Edgar Gonzalez:

   This is a country of corruption and until we end that we will not move forward. Mario Abdo is a son of the dictatorship and I do not think he will govern well.

2. Mines Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi:

   The retrenchments ... were inhumanely conducted and disregarded all the legal prescripts which govern the process of retrenchments.

3. Carlos Fernandez:

   What most worries me is what the new government will look like and how it will govern, the PP can't form a majority with Ciudadanos, but nor can anyone else form a majority. A grand coalition between the PP and the opposition Socialists seems the best option, but I doubt that will happen.

4. Larry Shannon Hargrove:

   Donald Trump is gon na tear this country apart, donald Trump doesn't know how to govern... Donald Trump's Donald Trump. Donald Trump tries to throw Barack Obama under the bus every chance Barack Obama gets.

5. William James:

   Why should we think upon things that are lovely? Because thinking determines life. It is a common habit to blame life upon the environment. Environment modifies life but does not govern life. The soul is stronger than its surroundings.

Images & Illustrations of govern

Popularity rank by frequency of use