reign

Everyday

1. To reign is to rule a country as a king, queen or emperor. tree →
2. A reign is the period of time during which a king or queen rules. tree →
3. To reign can mean to be the strongest feeling or thing in a place, as in "Silence reigned". tree →
4. In sport, the reigning champion is the one who won last time and still holds the title. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons pupils learn about the reigns of kings and queens and put them on timelines. In the Bible and church, Christians speak of God reigning and of the reign (kingdom) of God. In stories, "chaos reigned" means everything was in a mess. Phrases: "reign over", "during the reign of", "reigning champion", "reign supreme", "reign of terror".

Examples

• Queen Victoria reigned for a very long time. tree →
• During the reign of King Henry VIII, England broke away from the Pope. tree →
• The lion reigns over the jungle in the story. tree →
• When the teacher walked in, silence reigned. tree →
• Our school is the reigning champion of the county quiz. tree →
• (church) Christians sing that Christ will reign for ever. tree →
• Chaos reigned in the kitchen while Dad made pancakes. tree →
• My father reigned over six kingdoms. tree →

Note

Homophones: reign (to rule), rain (water from the sky), rein (the strap used to control a horse). A common trap is "free rein": it comes from horses, so it is spelled "rein", not "reign". The g is silent. In timeline maths, the length of a reign = year it ended − year it began.

In Jewish tradition

"The LORD shall reign for ever and ever" is sung in the Song at the Sea and is part of Jewish prayer. Tradition reads it as saying that God's rule never ends. In the primary lessons: In history lessons pupils learn about the reigns of kings and queens and put them on timelines. In the Bible and church, Christians speak of God reigning and of the reign (kingdom) of God. In stories, "chaos reigned" means everything was in a mess. Phrases: "reign over", "during the reign of", "reigning champion", "reign supreme", "reign of terror".

Examples

• The LORD shall reign for ever and ever. (Torah EXO.15.18, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead. (Torah GEN.36.36, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. (Torah GEN.36.38, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Abijam his son reigned in his stead. (Prophets 1KI.14.31, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead. (Prophets 2KI.10.35, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. (Prophets 2KI.19.37, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Homophones: reign (to rule), rain (water from the sky), rein (the strap used to control a horse). A common trap is "free rein": it comes from horses, so it is spelled "rein", not "reign". The g is silent. In timeline maths, the length of a reign = year it ended − year it began.