WordLens

govern

1 of 1verb
/ˈgə.vɜrn/
Forms:governs,governing,governed,governed
1

to officially have the control and authority to rule over a country and manage its affairs

B2transitive
  • Elected leaders govern the nation, making decisions for the welfare of its citizens.
  • The constitution outlines how the president will govern the country.
  • The prime minister's role is to govern and lead the government in policy-making.
  • A monarch may govern a kingdom, often guided by traditions and legal frameworks.
  • The tribal council collectively governs the community, addressing various issues.
Synonyms:
rule
2

to regulate or control a person, course of action or event or the way something happens

transitive
  • The new laws will govern how companies can handle customer data to ensure privacy and security.
  • Ethical principles govern the way scientists conduct their research, ensuring that it is honest and transparent.
  • The rules of the game govern how players interact with each other, ensuring fair play and safety for all involved.
  • Social norms govern how we interact with others in society.
  • The laws of physics govern the way objects move in the universe.
Synonyms:
orderregulateregulariseregularize
Antonyms:
deregulate
3

to direct or manage someone's actions or behavior

transitive
  • She tried to govern her temper during the heated argument.
  • The manager must govern the team to ensure everyone follows the company policies.
  • The coach had to govern the players' enthusiasm to prevent them from getting too reckless.
  • Parents often govern their children's choices to protect them from making bad decisions.
  • It’s important to govern your impulses when faced with difficult situations.
4

(of a word) to require or dictate that another word or group of words take a specific grammatical form

transitive
  • The verb "to give" governs both the indirect and direct objects in a sentence.
  • In German, certain verbs govern the dative case when indicating the indirect object.
  • The word "with" governs the noun that follows in the instrumental case in Russian.
  • In some languages, the verb "believe" governs the nominative case of its subject.
  • The verb "enjoy" governs the gerund form of the verb following it.