governing
adjective
gov·ern·ing
ˈgə-vər-niŋ 
: serving to govern: such as
a
: directing and making decisions for a country, organization, etc.
the country's governing [=ruling] party/coalition
a five-member governing board/council
Event managers must always pay close attention to regulations, such as local and sports governing bodies' regulations …—
Anastasia Nisenbaum
Anastasia Nisenbaum
b
: directing or guiding the actions of someone or something
It's our … governing principle to treat people with dignity and with respect.—Cheryl Prichard, quoted in The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia)
Cheryl Prichard, quoted in The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia)… an effort to cleanse the International [architectural] style of its nonfunctional design elements and return to the principle of necessity as the governing factor.—The Encyclopedia of American Art
The Encyclopedia of American Art
especially
: guiding the ideas, actions, decisions, etc. of a political leader or body
Some of the basic principles that Romans articulated as governing principles for their republic are principles that later republics adopted. —Edward Watts
Edward Watts … the candidates … displayed sharp contrasts in their governing philosophy. —Pat Bradley
Pat Bradley see also self-governing
Examples of governing in a Sentence
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In Blyth’s view, a new economic order is not yet discernible, because the governing idea is still being debated.
—Brit Morse, Fortune, 6 July 2025
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Brit Morse, Fortune, 6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Governing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/governing. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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