govern > define

verb

• Bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations.
  • usage: "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes to regulate"
  • synonyms: regulate, regularize, regularise, order
• Direct or strongly influence the behavior of.
  • usage: "His belief in God governs his conduct"
• Exercise authority over; as of nations.
  • usage: "Who is governing the country now"
  • synonyms: rule
• Require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood.
  • usage: "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German"

• (v.t.) To regulate; to influence; to direct; to restrain; to manage; as, to govern the life; to govern a horse.
• (v.t.) To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority.
• (v.i.) To exercise authority; to administer the laws; to have the control.
• (v.t.) To require to be in a particular case; as, a transitive verb governs a noun in the objective case; or to require (a particular case); as, a transitive verb governs the objective case.