The act of governing
"The administration's new policy marks a significant shift in how the country governs itself."
bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations
"We cannot regulate the way people dress"
"This town likes to regulate"
require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood
"most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German"
To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.
"The newly elected council will soon govern the city's finances and infrastructure."
In plain English: To govern means to be in charge of running and making rules for a group, country, or organization.
"The new laws will govern how businesses handle customer data."
Usage: Use govern when referring to an official body or leader making laws, not as a synonym for rule over individuals like control does. Avoid confusing it with manage, which implies handling specific tasks rather than exercising broad political authority.
The word "govern" traveled into Middle English via the Norman conquest before entering Modern English. It originally meant to steer a ship, borrowing that nautical sense directly from Latin and Ancient Greek roots related to navigation.