past and past participle
Officially led and made decisions for a country, state, or organization, or was officially led in this way.
The military council governed the region for five years.
The territory was governed by an elected assembly.
American English
How to pronounce governed
verbB2Common word
GUHvernd
/ˈgə.vɚnd̚/
2 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of govern
Officially led and made decisions for a country, state, or organization, or was officially led in this way.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
past and past participle
Controlled how something happened or how a system worked, or was controlled by a rule or principle.
A strict budget governed our spending decisions.
The agreement was governed by state law.
Useful expressions
to be controlled by a law, rule, or principle
The agreement is governed by state law.
Related words & forms
Drop the final e before -ing: governing, not governning.