{
    "term": "govern",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "govern",
            "heSheIt": "governs"
        },
        "pastSimple": "governed",
        "pastParticiple": "governed",
        "ingForm": "governing"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to legally control a country or its people and be responsible for introducing new laws, organizing public services, etc.",
            "sensetop": "govern (something)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The country is governed by elected representatives of the people."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He accused the opposition party of being unfit to govern."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The colony was governed directly from Paris."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He could not implement his radical policies without a long-term mandate to govern."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The PCP had governed the province for 23 years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There were four parties governing in coalition."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Politics"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["effectively", "well", "directly"],
                "verb + govern": ["be fit to", "be unfit to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to control or influence somebody/something or how something happens, functions, etc.",
            "sensetop": "govern something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We need changes in the law governing school attendance."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Prices are governed by market demand."
                },
                {
                    "text": "All his decisions have been entirely governed by self-interest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is these springs that govern how firm or soft the mattress is."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Special regulations govern the operation of such businesses."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The selection of music to be added to a movie soundtrack is governed partly by common sense and partly by fashion."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "if a word governs another word or phrase, it affects how that word or phrase is formed or used",
            "sensetop": "govern something",
            "labels": "(grammar)",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvn/",
                "audio": "go/govern/govern__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvnz/",
                "audio": "go/govern/governs__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvnd/",
                "audio": "go/govern/governed__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvənɪŋ/",
                "audio": "go/govern/governing__gb_5.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvərn/",
                "audio": "go/govern/govern__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvərnz/",
                "audio": "go/govern/governs__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvərnd/",
                "audio": "go/govern/governed__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɡʌvərnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "go/govern/governing__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French governer, from Latin gubernare ‘to steer, rule’, from Greek kubernan ‘to steer’."
}