What is another word for govern?

Synonyms for govern
ˈgʌv ərngov·ern

This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word govern.

English Synonyms and Antonyms0.0 / 0 votes

  1. govern

    Govern carries the idea of authoritative administration or some exercise of authority that is at once effective and continuous; control is effective, but may be momentary or occasional. One controls what he holds or can hold at will absolutely in check; as, a skilful horseman controls a spirited horse; a person controls his temper; we say to one who is excited, "control yourself." A person commands another when he has, or claims, the right to make that other do his will, with power of inflicting penalty if not obeyed; he controls another whom he can effectually prevent from doing anything contrary to his will; he governs one whom he actually does cause, regularly or constantly, to obey his will; a parent may command a child whom he can not govern or control. The best teachers are not greatly prone to command, but govern or control their pupils largely by other means. Command is, however, often used in the sense of securing, as well as requiring, submission or obedience, as when we speak of a commanding influence; a man commands the situation when he can shape events as he pleases; a fortress commands the region when no enemy can pass against its resistance. Govern implies the exercise of knowledge and judgment as well as power. To rule is more absolute and autocratic than to govern; to sway is to move by quiet but effectual influence; to mold is not only to influence feeling and action, but to shape character; to manage is to secure by skilful contrivance the doing of one's will by those whom one can not directly control; a wise mother, by gentle means, sways the feelings and molds the lives of her children; to be able to manage servants is an important element of good housekeeping. The word reign, once so absolute, now simply denotes that one holds the official station of sovereign in a monarchy, with or without effective power; the Queen of England reigns; the Czar of Russia both reigns and rules.

    Synonyms:
    command, control, curb, direct, influence, manage, mold, reign, reign over, restrain, rule, sway

    Antonyms:
    be in subjection, be subject, comply, obey, submit, yield

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms0.0 / 0 votes

  1. govern

    Synonyms:
    rule, direct, control, moderate, guide, sway, supervise, manage, command, conduct

    Antonyms:
    misrule, misdirect, miscontrol

Princeton's WordNet0.0 / 0 votes

  1. regulate, regularize, regularise, order, governverb

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

    "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes to regulate"

    Synonyms:
    put, ordain, regularise, order, dictate, arrange, set up, say, grade, ordinate, range, influence, determine, mold, baffle, consecrate, rule, enjoin, modulate, rank, regulate, rate, tell, shape, prescribe, place, regularize

  2. governverb

    direct or strongly influence the behavior of

    "His belief in God governs his conduct"

    Synonyms:
    regularize, rule, order, regularise, regulate

  3. govern, ruleverb

    exercise authority over; as of nations

    "Who is governing the country now?"

    Synonyms:
    reign, rule, rein, predominate, regularize, harness, dominate, find, order, prevail, decree, regulate, regularise

  4. governverb

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

    "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German"

    Synonyms:
    regularize, rule, order, regularise, regulate

Matched Categories

Dictionary of English Synonymes0.0 / 0 votes

  1. governverb

    Synonyms:
    conduct, manage, supervise, regulate, have the direction of, have the charge of

  2. governverb

    Synonyms:
    direct, guide, steer

  3. governverb

    Synonyms:
    control, restrain, curb, bridle, rule, sway, command

  4. governverb

    Synonyms:
    rule, have control, exercise authority, hold the reins, bear sway, have the charge

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words0.0 / 0 votes

  1. governverb

    Synonyms:
    direct, control, regulate, command, reign, influence, restrain, bridle, guide

PPDB, the paraphrase database0.0 / 0 votes

  1. List of paraphrases for "govern":

    regulate, steer, guide, manage

Suggested Resources

  1. govern

    The govern symbol -- In this Symbols.com article you will learn about the meaning of the govern symbol and its characteristic.

How to pronounce govern?

How to say govern in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#100find
#173order
#316place
#333control
#342guide
#352rate
#496say
#605range
#679put
#723tell
#783direct
#1362command
#1419rule
#1518grade
#1914determine
#2217manage
#2219rank
#2645conduct
#2943influence
#3012shape
#5420moderate
#7475arrange
#8988mold
#10398harness
#11761regulate
#12551curb
#12555reign
#12982govern
#13053decree
#14513dominate
#16778steer
#17529prescribe
#17822prevail
#18697supervise
#20466sway
#20832dictate
#26617rein
#27523ordinate
#30094restrain
#41205baffle
#41841modulate
#56587predominate
#64354enjoin
#73610ordain
#92642consecrate
#171345regularize
#257419regularise

How to use govern in a sentence?

  1. Lao Tzu:

    People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.

  2. Charles De Gaulle:

    How can anyone govern a nation that has 246 different kinds of cheese?

  3. William Henry Harrison:

    I proceed to present to you a summary of the principles which will govern me...

  4. City Councilman Eric Costello:

    The myriad of investigations underway into the various business dealings involving the mayor raises significant ethical and legal issues, it will be impossible for Mayor Pugh to govern effectively.

  5. Harry Wilson:

    The real question is how does the company govern itself in a way that maximizes shareholder value.


Translations for govern

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