govern
See also: Govern and govèrn
English
Etymology
From Middle English governen, governe, from Anglo-Norman and Old French governer, guverner, from Latin gubernō, from Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “I steer, drive, govern”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɡʌvɚn/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɡʌvən/
- Hyphenation: gov‧ern
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ʌvə(ɹ)n
Verb
govern (third-person singular simple present governs, present participle governing, simple past and past participle governed)
- (transitive) To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.
- The old king governed the land wisely.
- (intransitive) To exercise political authority; to run a government.
- (transitive) To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.
- Govern yourselves like civilized people.
- a student who could not govern his impulses
- 2016, Justin Deschamps, Find the strength, courage, and discipline to govern yourself or be governed by someone else.
- Find the strength, courage, and discipline to govern yourself or be governed by someone else.
- (transitive) To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.
- Chance governs the outcome of many card games.
- (intransitive) To have or exercise a determining influence.
- (transitive, obsolete) To handle, to manage, to oversee (a matter, an affair, a household, etc.).
- (transitive) To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.
- a valve that governs fuel intake
- 1968 April 18, National Transportation Safety Board, “2.1 Analysis”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Mohawk Airlines, Inc., BAC 1-11, N1116J, Near Blossburg, Pennsylvania, June 23, 1967, archived from the original on 24 June 2022, retrieved 24 June 2022, page 33:
- The weight and c.g. of the aircraft were within limits at takeoff and were calculated to have remained so until the tail began to disintegrate in flight. Both engines were developing a high level of power at impact, and the APU was rotating at or near governed speed. The landing gear, flaps, and spoiler/speed brakes were retracted. There was no evidence of structural or system failures other than those directly resulting from the fire.
- (transitive, obsolete) To direct the course of, to guide in some direction, to steer.
- (transitive, obsolete) To look after, to take care of, to tend to (someone or some plant).
- c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], part 1, 2nd edition, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, OCLC 932920499; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:
- from my vncles country of Medea,
Where all my youth I haue bene gouerned, […]
-
- (transitive, obsolete) To manage, to control, to work (a tool or mechanical device).
- (transitive, grammar) To require that a certain preposition, grammatical case, etc. be used with a word; sometimes used synonymously with collocate.
Related terms
- governance
- governess
- government
- governor
Translations
to exercise sovereign authority in
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to control the actions of
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to exercise a determining influence on
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to control the speed or magnitude of
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(intr.) to exercise political authority
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(intr.) to have a determining influence
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grammar: to require that a certain preposition, grammatical case, etc. be used with a word
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
govern (plural governs)
- The act of governing
Catalan
Etymology
From the verb governar, or possibly from Late Latin gubernus or gubernius[1], from Latin gubernum or gubernō.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Valencian) IPA(key): /ɡoˈvɛɾn/
- (Central) IPA(key): /ɡuˈbɛrn/
Audio (file)
Noun
govern m (plural governs)
- government
Related terms
- governar
References
- “govern”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
Further reading
- “govern” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “govern” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “govern” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.