v. t. | 1. | To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority. |
2. | To regulate; to influence; to direct; to restrain; to manage; | |
3. | (Gram.) To require to be in a particular case; | |
v. i. | 1. | To exercise authority; to administer the laws; to have the control. |
Verb | 1. | govern - bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations; "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes to regulate" |
2. | govern - direct or strongly influence the behavior of; "His belief in God governs his conduct" | |
3. | govern - exercise authority over; as of nations; "Who is governing the country now?" Synonyms: rule | |
4. | govern - require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood; "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German" |