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govern

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govern
govern W3 /ˈɡʌvən $ -ərn/ verb
 Word Family: noun: government, governor, governess, governorship; adjective: governmental, governing, gubernatorial; verb: govern; adverb: governmentally
 Date: 1200-1300
 Language: Old French
 Origin: governer, from Latin gubernare, from Greek kybernan 'to control the direction of something'
1. [intransitive and transitive] to officially and legally control a country and make all the decisions about taxes, laws, public services etc
   SYN  rule:
    the leaders who govern the country
    The party had been governing for seven months.
2. [transitive] if rules, principles etc govern the way a system or situation works, they control how it happens:
    legislation governing the export of live animals
    The universe is governed by the laws of physics.