What does "govern" mean?

1. (to rule a country) to officially run a country, city, or organization and make its laws. 2. (to influence or control) to have a strong influence on how something happens or how someone behaves. 3. (to restrain) to keep your feelings or behavior under control. 4. (grammar) in grammar, when a word makes you use a specific form or ending for another word.

How do you use "govern"?

Often used in the passive voice when describing how a country is led. Frequently used with abstract subjects like 'laws', 'rules', or 'principles'. Used specifically in linguistic and grammatical analysis.

govern

US //ˈɡəvɝn// UK //ɡˈʌvən// gov·ern

1 to rule a country (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to officially run a country, city, or organization and make its laws.

to exercise sovereign authority or administer public policy for a state, organization, or people.

Example

The country is governed by a group of elected officials who meet every week.

Example

The coalition government struggled to govern effectively while facing constant internal disagreements over economic policy.

Usage

Often used in the passive voice when describing how a country is led.
2 to influence or control (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to have a strong influence on how something happens or how someone behaves.

to exercise a deciding or determining influence on an outcome, behavior, or process.

Example

Common sense should govern your decisions when you are traveling alone.

Example

The laws of physics govern the movement of the planets around the sun.

Usage

Frequently used with abstract subjects like 'laws', 'rules', or 'principles'.

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3 to restrain (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to keep your feelings or behavior under control.

to restrain or control one's actions, emotions, or impulses.

Example

You must learn to govern your temper if you want to succeed in this job.

Example

He found it increasingly difficult to govern his mounting frustration during the long and repetitive meeting.
- unleash
4 grammar (v.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Academic Science

in grammar, when a word makes you use a specific form or ending for another word.

to require that a following word take a specific grammatical case, mood, or preposition.

Example

In this sentence, the preposition 'with' is governed by the verb.

Example

In many inflected languages, the choice of preposition directly governs the case of the following noun phrase.

Usage

Used specifically in linguistic and grammatical analysis.
- require
- determine

Origin

From Middle English governen, governe, from Anglo-Norman and Old French governer, guverner, from Latin gubernō, from Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer, drive, govern”).