gerund / present participle
This means officially leading and making decisions for a country, state, or organization.
The coalition is governing the country during the crisis.
Governing a city requires careful planning.
American English
How to pronounce governing
verb · adjectiveB2Common word
GUHvernihng
/ˈgə.vɚ.nɪŋ/
3 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of govern
Governing can be a verb form or an adjective before a noun.
This means officially leading and making decisions for a country, state, or organization.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
gerund / present participle
This means controlling how something happens or how a system works.
These rules are governing how the funds are used.
Governing access to the files requires strict controls.
participial adjective
This describes a person, group, or institution that officially leads or rules a country, state, or organization.
The governing party won another term.
The governing council approved the plan.
participial adjective
This describes something that controls how a process works or how a decision is made.
The governing law is listed in the contract.
The governing principle is fairness.
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.