reigned

Reigned is the past tense and past participle of the verb reign. To reign means to hold sovereign power as a king, queen, emperor, or other ruler, or to exercise supreme authority within a realm or domain. A ruler's reign refers to the period during which they govern, enact laws, and perform ceremonial duties. The term can also be used metaphorically to describe dominance in a non-monarchical context.

Etymology and form: Reign comes from Old French reigne, from Latin regnum. The verb entered English with the sense of ruling a realm. The present tense is reign; the past tense and past participle are reigned; the present participle is reigning. The word is homographic with the noun reign, which denotes the period of rule rather than the act of ruling.

Usage: In historical writing, statements such as "Charles X reigned from 1824 to 1830" are standard. The verb often expresses duration, as in "she reigned for thirty years." It can also describe metaphorical dominance, for example, "the artist reigned over the charts." The form is used with dates, with prepositions such as from…to, or with over to indicate the domain of rule.

See also: reign (noun), regnant, sovereignty, monarchy, ruler, throne. Reigned contrasts with present forms such as reign and reigning, and with related verbs meaning to govern or rule in different contexts.