govern
pronunciation
How to pronounce govern in British English:
UK [ˈɡʌvn]
How to pronounce govern in American English:
US [ˈɡʌvərn]
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- Verb:
- bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations
- direct or strongly influence the behavior of
- exercise authority over; as of nations
- require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood
Word Origin
- govern
- govern: [13] Politicians’ clichés about ‘steering the ship of state’ are no new thing; for the distant ancestor of English govern is the Greek verb kubernan ‘steer a ship’ (source also of English cybernetics). It developed the metaphorical sense ‘guide, rule’, and it was this that passed with it via Latin gubernāre and Old French governer into English. The Latin form is preserved in gubernatorial ‘of a governor’ [18].=> cybernetics, gubernatorial
- govern (v.)
- late 13c., "to rule with authority," from Old French governer "steer, be at the helm of; govern, rule, command, direct" (11c., Modern French gouverner), from Latin gubernare "to direct, rule, guide, govern" (source also of Spanish gobernar, Italian governare), originally "to steer, to pilot," a nautical borrowing from Greek kybernan "to steer or pilot a ship, direct as a pilot," figuratively "to guide, govern" (the root of cybernetics). The -k- to -g- sound shift is perhaps via the medium of Etruscan. Intransitive sense from 1590s. Related: Governed; governing.
Example
- 1. I am talking about changing the underlying values that govern our society .
- 2. Her job is to govern , his will be to exhort and inspire .
- 3. For instance , what rules govern anti-money laundering surveillance on yuan transfers ?
- 4. The dispute ends always by agreeing that to govern men is very difficult .
- 5. Mr medina risks having to govern in his predecessor 's shadow .