governing

governing
    adj 1: responsible for making and enforcing rules and laws;
           "governing bodies"
    n 1: the act of governing; exercising authority; "regulations
         for the governing of state prisons"; "he had considerable
         experience of government" [syn: {government}, {governing},
         {governance}, {government activity}, {administration}]
    

Govern \Gov"ern\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Governed}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Governing}.] [OF. governer, F. gouverner, fr. L.
   gubernare to steer, pilot, govern, Gr. kyberna^n. Cf.
   {Gubernatorial}.]
   1. To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men,
      either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to
      regulate by authority. "Fit to govern and rule
      multitudes." --Shak.
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   2. To regulate; to influence; to direct; to restrain; to
      manage; as, to govern the life; to govern a horse.
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            Govern well thy appetite.             --Milton.
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   3. (Gram.) 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.
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Governing \Gov"ern*ing\, a.
   1. Holding the superiority; prevalent; controlling; as, a
      governing wind; a governing party in a state. --Jay.
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   2. (Gram.) Requiring a particular case.
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73 Moby Thesaurus words for "governing":
      absolute, ascendant, at the head, authoritarian, authoritative,
      authorized, autocratic, boss, chief, clothed with authority,
      commanding, competent, consequential, considerable, controlling,
      directing, directive, directorial, directory, dominant,
      duly constituted, eminent, empowered, ex officio, general, great,
      guiding, head, hegemonic, hegemonistic, imperative, important,
      in ascendancy, in charge, in chief, in the ascendant, influential,
      leading, managerial, managing, master, mighty, momentous,
      monocratic, official, paramount, potent, powerful, predominant,
      predominate, preeminent, prepollent, preponderant, preponderate,
      prepotent, prestigious, prevalent, prominent, puissant, ranking,
      regnant, regulating, regulative, regulatory, reigning, ruling,
      senior, sovereign, substantial, superior, supreme, totalitarian,
      weighty