1 the period during which a king, queen, EMPEROR, etc. rules:
in / during the reign of Charles II
2 the period during which sb is in charge of an organization, a team, etc:
Sir Matt Busby's reign at Manchester United
verb [V]
1 ~ (over sb/sth) to rule as king, queen, EMPEROR, etc:
the reigning monarch * Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901. * Herod reigned over Palestine at that time.
2 ~ (over sb/sth) to be the best or most important in a particular situation or area of skill:
the reigning champion * In the field of classical music, he still reigns supreme.
3 (literary) (of an idea, a feeling or an atmosphere) to be the most obvious feature of a place or moment:
At last silence reigned (= there was complete silence). * For a while, chaos and confusion reigned.
