The meaning of GOVERN is to exercise continuous sovereign authority over; especially : to control and direct the making and administration of policy in. How to use govern in a sentence.

GOVERN definition: 1. to control and direct the public business of a country, city, group of people, etc.: 2. to have…. Learn more.

1. to rule by right of authority, as a sovereign does: to govern a nation. 2. to exercise a directing or restraining influence over; guide: the motives governing a decision. 3. to hold in check; control: to …

Govern, meaning to rule over something, is almost always used to refer to government or politics, as in The president did his best to govern the country during the war.

Members of the party have governed [= ruled] the country for the last 20 years. The tribe is governed by a 10-member council. They want to form their own country and govern themselves.

Definition of govern verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

To govern a place such as a country, or its people, means to be officially in charge of the place, and to have responsibility for making laws, managing the economy, and controlling public services.

To govern is to rule, lead, oversee, or otherwise control. Each U.S. state has its own governor, whose job it is to govern the affairs of that state.

GOVERN meaning: 1. to control and direct the public business of a country, city, group of people, etc.: 2. to have…. Learn more.

Apr 20, 2026 · LINCOLN, NE -- Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of Danielle J. Fliam as county court judge in the Seventh Judicial District. That district includes Antelope, Cuming, …