govern
govern Lexical Profile
govern Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To conduct the policy, actions, and affairs of a state, organization, or people with sovereign or institutional authority.
"The prime minister promised to govern transparently and prioritize economic stability."
To control, influence, or regulate the behavior, workings, or outcome of a person, process, or natural system.
"Strict physical laws govern the motion of planets around the sun."
To require that a dependent word or phrase be in a specific grammatical case or mood (in grammar).
"In Latin, certain prepositions govern the ablative case rather than the accusative."
• Rhymes for govern
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 13th century from Old French governer, from Latin gubernare ('to steer a ship, direct, rule'), which was borrowed from Ancient Greek kybernan ('to steer or pilot a vessel').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.