Other forms: reigning, reigns, reigned
A reign is the period during which one monarch rules. A long reign, the reign of Victoria, during his reign.
It is also used of anybody dominating a field for a time: the reign of that manager. As a verb, reign means to rule, and reigning champion means the current holder of a title. Note the spelling trap: reign is about ruling, rein is the strap on a horse and gives free rein and rein in, and rain is weather. All three sound identical and are confused constantly.
1nounreignThe period during which one monarch rules.
“The reign lasted about seventy years.”
2verbruleTo rule as a monarch.
“Queen Victoria reigned over Britain for more than sixty years.”
reign is a period of rule.
Latin regnum, a kingdom, comes from rex, a king — the same root as regal, royal, regent and rule. The g in reign is silent and was reinserted by scribes to show the Latin behind it.
Middle English
regnen
English, today
reign
Built from
From Middle English regnen. Middle English regnen, from Old French reignier, from the Latin - verb rēgnō, and the noun rēgnum. a doublet of regnum. Displaced native rīċe and ricsian (“to reign”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in History & Eras