# govern

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈɡʌv.ən/ · frequency rank #11,709

## Definitions
1. To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.
2. To exercise political authority; to run a government.
3. To control the actions or behavior of; to keep under control; to restrain.
4. To exercise a deciding or determining influence on.
5. To have or exercise a determining influence.
6. To handle, to manage, to oversee (a matter, an affair, a household, etc.).
7. To control the speed, flow etc. of; to regulate.
8. To direct the course of, to guide in some direction, to steer.
9. To look after, to take care of, to tend to (someone or some plant).
10. To manage, to control, to work (a tool or mechanical device).
11. To require that a certain preposition, grammatical case, etc. be used with a word.

## Etymology
From Middle English governen, governe, from Anglo-Norman and Old French governer, guverner, from Latin gubernō, from Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer, drive, govern”).

## Easily confused with
- **Gower** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/govern-vs-gower)
- **Grover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/govern-vs-grover)
- **governs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/govern-vs-governs)
- **governor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/govern-vs-governor)
- **governed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/govern-vs-governed)
- **gove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gove-vs-govern)
- **goer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/goer-vs-govern)
- **given** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/given-vs-govern)
- **giver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/giver-vs-govern)
- **Goers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/goers-vs-govern)
- **Govan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/govan-vs-govern)
- **glover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/glover-vs-govern)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ggovern`, `goevrn`, `govenr`, `governn`, `goverrn`, `govren`, `govvern`, `gvoern`, `ogvern`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/govern