Antonyms for govern
ˈgʌv ərngov·ern

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 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.

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

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

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. govern

   Antonyms:
   misrule, misdirect, miscontrol

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

Matched Categories

1. • Control
   • Require

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 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

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. governverb

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

How to use govern in a sentence?

1. Ivan Duque:

   With humility and honor, I tell the Colombian people that I will give all my energies to unite our country. No more divisions, i will not govern with hatred.

2. Prophet Joseph Smith:

   We teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves.

3. Lao Tzu:

   Govern a great nation as you would cook a small fish. Do not overdo it.

4. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga:

   Whoever wins will have the daunting task to try to change the equation in the country, overwhelmingly what people are saying is, they want the new leadership to govern them better; they want a government that will be able to reconcile them.

5. Jefferson County Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich:

   This whole situation has made it impossible for him to do what he was elected to do: effectively govern, and as the father of four children under the age of 17, it doesn’t matter if it was a boy or a girl. When you are an elected official, it’s just so taboo, you can’t go there. You’re in a position of power, you can’t abuse that.

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