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Added 9 October 2026

reign

/ɹeɪ̯n/ noun

In Latin: rēgnō Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about reign at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The exercise of sovereign power.
England prospered under Elizabeth I's reign.
The period during which a monarch rules.
The reign of Victoria was a long one.
The territory or sphere over which a kingdom; empire; realm; dominion, etc. is ruled.

verb

To exercise sovereign power, to rule as a monarch.
He reigned in an autocratic manner.
To reign over (a country)
To be the winner of the most recent iteration of a competition.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English regnen, from Old French reignier, from the Latin verb rēgnō, and the noun rēgnum. Doublet of regnum. Displaced native Old English rīċe (“a reign”) and ricsian (“to reign”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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