verb
govern
GUHV-uhn
verb
1
To run the political affairs of a country, state, or region.
"The coalition has governed the country for eight years."
2
To control or strongly influence how something behaves or happens.
"Supply and demand govern prices in a free market."
3
To keep one's own behavior or emotions under control.
"He struggled to govern his temper during the argument."
How to Use Govern
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo rule a country, or more generally to control or steer how something works.
Common pairings
govern a country
govern by decree
the rules that govern something
Word Forms
governed past tense, governs plural, governs singular
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Etymology
From Old French governer, ultimately from Latin gubernare, "to steer a ship" — from the same Greek root that gives us "cybernetics".