government

Etymology

From Middle English governement, from Old French governement (modern French gouvernement), from governer (see govern) + -ment. Morphologically govern + -ment Displaced native Old English gerec, leodweard, ræden, rǣding and Old English ealdordōm.

noun

1. The body with the power to make and/or enforce laws to control a country, land area, people or organization.
   British government has historically centred exclusively on London.
   Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return. 2013-07-06, “The rise of smart beta”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8843, page 68
2. (grammar, linguistics) The relationship between a word and its dependents.
3. The state and its administration viewed as the ruling political power.
   If the citizens must follow the law, then the government must follow the constitution.
   Risk is everywhere. From tabloid headlines insisting that coffee causes cancer (yesterday, of course, it cured it) to stern government warnings about alcohol and driving, the world is teeming with goblins. 2013-06-22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76
4. (uncountable) The management or control of a system.
   The government of the Church is maintained without material alteration in a settled hierarchical form. 1908, Walter Frederic Adeney, The Greek and Eastern churches, page 275
5. The tenure of a chief of state.
   The Sunak government announced plans to stem the flow of migrants coming into Great Britain.