Definitions for govern
ˈgʌv ərngov·ern

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

1. regulate, regularize, regularise, order, govern(verb)

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

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

2. govern(verb)

   direct or strongly influence the behavior of

   "His belief in God governs his conduct"

3. govern, rule(verb)

   exercise authority over; as of nations

   "Who is governing the country now?"

4. govern(verb)

   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. govern(Verb)

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

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

2. govern(Verb)

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

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

3. govern(Verb)

   To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.

   Chance usually governs the outcome of the game.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

4. govern(Verb)

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

   a valve that governs fuel intake.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

5. govern(Verb)

   To exercise political authority; to run a government.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

6. govern(Verb)

   To have or exercise a determining influence.

   Etymology: and governer, guberno, from κυβερνάω

7. govern(Verb)

   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. Govern(verb)

   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. Govern(verb)

   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. Govern(verb)

   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. Govern(verb)

   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.

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

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

How to pronounce govern?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. John Selden:

   He that has not religion to govern his morality, is not a dram better than my mastiff-dog; so long as you stroke him, and please him, and do not pinch him, he will play with you as finely as may be, he is a very good moral mastiff; but if you hurt him, he will fly in your face, and tear out your throat.

2. G. I. Gurdjieff:

   A considerable percentage of the people we meet on the street are people who are empty inside, that is, they are actually already dead. It is fortunate for us that we do not see and do not know it. If we knew what a number of people are actually dead and what a number of these dead people govern our lives, we should go mad with horror.

3. Mitch McConnell:

   The American people have given us an opportunity to govern. We're no longer just floating ideas ... we have an obligation now to the American people to deliver a replacement for Obamacare that is better than the status quo.

4. Mario M Cuomo:

   You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.

5. Matteo Salvini:

   I am ready to challenge Renzi tomorrow morning. Voters who choose the League are choosing a movement with courage which I think will govern Italy.

Images & Illustrations of govern

Popularity rank by frequency of use