Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Govern
Gov′ern
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Governed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Governing
.] [OF.
governer
, F. gouverner
, fr. L. gubernare
to steer, pilot, govern, Gr. κυβερνᾶν
. Cf. Gubernatorial
.] 1.
To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority.
“Fit to govern and rule multitudes.” Shak.
2.
To regulate; to influence; to direct; to restrain; to manage;
as, to
govern
the life; to govern
a horse.Govern
well thy appetite. Milton.
3.
(Gram.)
To require to be in a particular case;
as, a transitive verb
; or to require (a particular case); governs
a noun in the objective caseas, a transitive verb
. governs
the objective caseGov′ern
,Verb.
I.
To exercise authority; to administer the laws; to have the control.
Dryden.
Webster 1828 Edition
Govern
GOV'ERN
,Verb.
T.
1.
To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority; to keep within the limits prescribed by law or sovereign will. Thus in free states, men are governed by the constitution and laws; in despotic states, men are governed by the edicts or commands of a monarch. Every man should govern well his own family.2.
To regulate; to influence; to direct. This is the chief point by which he is to govern all his counsels and actions.3.
To control; to restrain; to keep in due subjection; as, to govern the passions or temper.4.
To direct; to steer; to regulate the course or motion of a ship. The helm or the helmsman governs the ship.5.
In grammar, to require to be in a particular case; as, a verb transitive governs a word in the accusative case; or to require a particular case; as, a verb governs the accusative case.GOV'ERN
,Verb.
I.
1.
To maintain the superiority; to have the control.Definition 2024
govern
govern
English
Verb
govern (third-person singular simple present governs, present participle governing, simple past and past participle governed)
- (transitive) To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.
- (transitive) To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.
- Govern yourselves like civilized people.
- Find the strength, courage, and discipline to govern yourself or be governed by someone else. ― Justin Deschamps
- A student who could not govern his impulses.
- (transitive) To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.
- Chance usually governs the outcome of the game.
- (transitive) To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.
- A valve that governs fuel intake.
- (intransitive) To exercise political authority; to run a government.
- (intransitive) To have or exercise a determining influence.
- (transitive, grammar) To require that a certain preposition, grammatical case, etc. be used with a word; sometimes used synonymously with collocate.
Related terms
Translations
to exercise sovereign authority in
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to control the actions of
|
to exercise a determining influence on
to control the speed or magnitude of
(intr.) to exercise political authority
(intr.) to have a determining influence