Definition of "govern" in English

verb

1. (transitive) To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.

   • The old king governed the land wisely.

2. (intransitive) To exercise political authority; to run a government.

3. (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

4. (transitive) To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.

   • Chance governs the outcome of many card games.

5. (intransitive) To have or exercise a determining influence.

6. (transitive, obsolete) To handle, to manage, to oversee (a matter, an affair, a household, etc.).

7. (transitive) To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.

   • a valve that governs fuel intake

8. (transitive, obsolete) To direct the course of, to guide in some direction, to steer.

9. (transitive, obsolete) To look after, to take care of, to tend to (someone or some plant).

10. (transitive, obsolete) To manage, to control, to work (a tool or mechanical device).

11. (transitive, grammar) To require that a certain preposition, grammatical case, etc. be used with a word.

noun

1. The act of governing