Adjacent Words

Govern definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GOV'ERN, v.t. [L. guberno. The L. guberno seems to be a compound.]
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, v.i. To exercise authority; to administer the laws. The chief magistrate should govern with impartiality.
1. To maintain the superiority; to have the control.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations; "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes to regulate" [syn: regulate, regularize, regularise, order, govern] [ant: deregulate]
2: direct or strongly influence the behavior of; "His belief in God governs his conduct"
3: exercise authority over; as of nations; "Who is governing the country now?" [syn: govern, rule]
4: require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood; "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German"

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French governer, from Latin gubernare to steer, govern, from Greek kybernan Date: 14th century transitive verb 1. a. to exercise continuous sovereign authority over; especially to control and direct the making and administration of policy in b. to rule without sovereign power and usually without having the authority to determine basic policy 2. a. archaic manipulate b. to control the speed of (as a machine) especially by automatic means 3. a. to control, direct, or strongly influence the actions and conduct of b. to exert a determining or guiding influence in or over <income must govern expenditure> c. to hold in check ; restrain 4. to require (a word) to be in a certain case 5. to serve as a precedent or deciding principle for <customs that govern human decisions> intransitive verb 1. to prevail or have decisive influence ; control 2. to exercise authority • governable adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 a tr. rule or control (a State, subject, etc.) with authority; conduct the policy and affairs of (an organization etc.). b intr. be in government. 2 a tr. influence or determine (a person or a course of action). b intr. be the predominating influence. 3 tr. be a standard or principle for; constitute a law for; serve to decide (a case). 4 tr. check or control (esp. passions). 5 tr. Gram. (esp. of a verb or preposition) have (a noun or pronoun or its case) depending on it. 6 tr. be in military command of (a fort, town). Phrases and idioms: governing body the managers of an institution. Derivatives: governable adj. governability n. governableness n. Etymology: ME f. OF governer f. L gubernare steer, rule f. Gk kubernao

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Govern Gov"ern, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Governed; p. pr. & vb. n. Governing.] [OF. governer, F. gouverner, fr. L. gubernare to steer, pilot, govern, Gr. kyberna^n. 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 governs a noun in the objective case; or to require (a particular case); as, a transitive verb governs the objective case.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Govern Gov"ern, v. i. To exercise authority; to administer the laws; to have the control. --Dryden.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(governs, governing, governed) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. To govern a place such as a country, or its people, means to be officially in charge of the place, and to have responsibility for making laws, managing the economy, and controlling public services. They go to the polls on Friday to choose the people they want to govern their country... Their citizens are very thankful they are not governed by a dictator. = rule VERB: V n, V n 2. If a situation or activity is governed by a particular factor, rule, or force, it is controlled by that factor, rule, or force. Marine insurance is governed by a strict series of rules and regulations... The government has altered the rules governing eligibility for unemployment benefit. VERB: be V-ed by n, V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Conduct, manage, supervise, regulate, have the direction of, have the charge of. 2. Direct, guide, steer. 3. Control, restrain, curb, bridle, rule, sway, command. II. v. n. Rule, have control, exercise authority, hold the reins, bear sway, have the charge.

Moby Thesaurus

administer, administrate, arrest, be master, be responsible for, boss, bridle, call the shots, call the signals, captain, carry authority, carry on, carry out, chair, check, command, conduct, constrain, contain, control, cool, cool off, crack the whip, curb, curtail, decelerate, decide, determine, direct, discipline, dispose, dominate, dompt, engineer, enjoin, execute, guard, guide, handle, have clout, have power, have the power, have the right, have the say, head, head up, hinder, hold, hold at bay, hold back, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in leash, hold the reins, hold up, inhibit, keep, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep under control, lay under restraint, lead, lead on, look after, make the rules, manage, maneuver, manipulate, master, mastermind, officer, order, overrule, oversee, pilot, possess authority, prescribe, preside over, prohibit, pull, pull in, pull the strings, quarterback, regulate, reign, rein, rein in, render, repress, restrain, retard, retrench, rule, run, set back, shepherd, skipper, slow down, snub, stand over, steer, straiten, subdue, superintend, supervise, suppress, sway, take command, take the lead, wear the crown, wear the pants, wield authority, withhold