GOVERN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does govern mean? 

• GOVERN (verb)
  The verb GOVERN has 4 senses:

1. bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations

2. direct or strongly influence the behavior of

3. exercise authority over; as of nations

4. require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood

  Familiarity information: GOVERN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GOVERN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they govern    ... he / she / it governs   
Past simple: governed   
Past participle: governed   
-ing form: governing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

govern; order; regularise; regularize; regulate

Context example:

This town likes to regulate

Hypernyms (to "govern" is one way to...):

decide; determine; make up one's mind (reach, make, or come to a decision about something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "govern"):

standardise; standardize (cause to conform to standard or norm)

district; zone (regulate housing in; of certain areas of towns)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

government ((government) the system or form by which a community or other political unit is governed)

governor (a control that maintains a steady speed in a machine (as by controlling the supply of fuel))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Direct or strongly influence the behavior of

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

His belief in God governs his conduct

Hypernyms (to "govern" is one way to...):

command; control (exercise authoritative control or power over)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Derivation:

government (the act of governing; exercising authority)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Exercise authority over; as of nations

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

govern; rule

Context example:

Who is governing the country now?

Hypernyms (to "govern" is one way to...):

command; control (exercise authoritative control or power over)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "govern"):

throne (sit on the throne as a ruler)

misgovern (govern badly)

dictate (rule as a dictator)

reign (have sovereign power)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

governance; governing (the act of governing; exercising authority)

government (the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit)

governor (the head of a state government)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Context example:

most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German

Hypernyms (to "govern" is one way to...):

ask; call for; demand; involve; necessitate; need; postulate; require; take (require as useful, just, or proper)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

 Context examples 

They found that, although the Sun's cycles appear to differ from those of other stars of its type, they are governed by the same laws working in the same way.

(Sun's mood swings not so strange after all, Wikinews)

This means that Ceres' interior is weak enough that its shape is governed by how it rotates.

(What's Inside Ceres? New Findings from Gravity Data, NASA)

Two major types of genetic events are crucial for the molecular pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemias (AML): activating mutations of signal transduction intermediates and alterations in myeloid transcription factors governing hematopoietic differentiation.

(Acute Myeloid Leukemia Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

For who can read of the virtues I have mentioned in the glorious Houyhnhnms, without being ashamed of his own vices, when he considers himself as the reasoning, governing animal of his country?

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

As we were going through some of the magnificent passages, I inquired of Mr. Creakle and his friends what were supposed to be the main advantages of this all-governing and universally over-riding system?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

So far I have governed myself thoroughly.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Through it all, behind it all, was man, governing and controlling, expressing himself, as of old, by his mastery over matter.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

It affects cancer cell receptors governing cell growth and cell death.

(Apomine, NCI Dictionary)

A legally binding document which governs the administrative/legal terms under which a Study will be conducted.

(Clinical Trial Agreement, NCI Thesaurus)

Movement of the lip corners is governed by the zygomatic major muscle.

(Movement of Lip Corners, NCI Thesaurus)