Definition

1. Verb:
   • To exercise continuous sovereign authority over; to rule: To control and direct the making and administration of policy in a political unit, such as a state or nation.
   • To control, influence, or regulate: To determine, guide, or decisively affect the course of action, behavior, or events.
   • To require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood: In grammar, for a word (especially a verb or preposition) to determine the case or form of another word in a sentence.
   • To serve as a principle or law that determines: To be the prevailing or decisive factor in a situation.

Usage Examples

• Verb (Rule a nation):
  • The elected officials govern the country according to its constitution.
  • Who will govern the province after the governor's resignation?
• Verb (Control or influence behavior):
  • Ethical principles should govern our business decisions.
  • Fear governed his actions for many years.
• Verb (Grammar):
  • In Latin, prepositions govern specific cases; for example, 'ad' governs the accusative.
  • The verb 'insist' can govern a subjunctive mood in formal English.

Advanced Usage

• "to govern oneself": To exercise self-control or self-restraint.
  • Despite the provocation, she managed to govern herself and remain calm.
• "governing body": A group of people who officially control and direct an institution.
  • The university's governing body approved the new policy.
• "governed by": Determined or influenced by a particular factor.
  • The design of the building is governed by strict safety codes.

Variants and Related Words

• Government (n): The system or group of people governing an organized community, often a state.
  • The federal government announced new economic measures.
• Governor (n): The elected executive head of a U.S. state or an official appointed to govern a region or institution.
  • The governor will give a speech at the ceremony.
• Governance (n): The action or manner of governing.
  • Good corporate governance is essential for investor confidence.
• Governing (adj): Having authority to control or rule.
  • The governing party introduced the legislation.

Synonyms

• Rule: To exercise ultimate power or authority over a people and administration.
• Control: To exercise restraining or directing influence over.
• Regulate: To govern or direct according to rule.
• Administer: To manage or supervise the execution, use, or conduct of.
• Direct: To guide the affairs or course of.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: 'Govern' is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. Its meanings are typically expressed through the verb itself or related nouns.)

Related Idioms

• "A government of laws, not of men": A principle that governmental authority is legitimately exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws.
• "To be a law unto oneself": To behave in a way that ignores rules or conventions, acting as if one is not governed by them. (This is an antonymic concept related to governance.)
  • He doesn't follow the company protocol; he's a law unto himself.

Verb

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