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History vocabulary · Empires, States and Rulers

Reign

Meaning in history, with examples

/reɪn/nounCore term

In history, reign means: The period during which a king, queen, emperor or sultan rules; as a verb, to rule as a monarch.

In Turkish: saltanat, hükümdarlık dönemi, tahtta kalma süresi

How it is used

Very common in narrative history: during the reign of, in the reign of, a long or short reign, early in his reign. As a verb: she reigned for 63 years. Events are often dated by reign: in the third year of his reign.

Example sentences

  1. Süleyman the Magnificent reigned from 1520 to 1566.

  2. Many new roads and bridges were built during her reign.

Common collocations

  • during the reign of
  • a long reign
  • reign over
  • early in his reign
  • the reigning monarch
  • dynastyA series of rulers who come from the same family and pass power from one generation to the next, or the period during which such a family rules.
  • successionThe process by which a new ruler takes the place of the previous one, and the rules or customs that decide who has the right to the throne.
  • monarchyA system of government in which a king, queen, emperor or other hereditary ruler is head of state, or a country governed in this way.
  • abdicateTo give up the throne or another position of supreme power formally, either by choice or under pressure.

More terms: Empires, States and Rulers

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