government

English Online Dictionary. What means government‎? What does government mean?

English

Alternative forms

• gouernement (obsolete)
• gub'mint, gubmint, gummint, gubbamint, guvmint, guvment, gumment, guv'ment, guv'mint, gubberment, gubbermint, gubment, gub'ment, govermint, guvverment, guvvermint, guverment, guvermint, gobermint, gormint (nonstandard)
• gahmen (Manglish, Singlish)

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.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɡʌvə(n)mənt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡəvɚ(n)mənt/
• (India) IPA^(key): /ˈɡəv(ə)mɛnt/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɐvɘ(n)mɘnt/, /ˈɡɐvmɘnt/
• Hyphenation: gov‧ern‧ment

Noun

government (countable and uncountable, plural governments)

1. The body with the power to make and/or enforce laws to control a country, land area, people or organization.
2. (grammar, linguistics) The relationship between a word and its dependents.

   Synonyms: regimen, rection (archaic)

   Coordinate terms: agreement, concord, concordance (obsolete)

3. The state and its administration viewed as the ruling political power.
4. (uncountable) The management or control of a system.
5. The tenure of a head of government; the ministry or administration led by a specified individual.

6. In a parliamentary system, the political party or coalition in power, as opposed to the opposition; the state of being in power.
7. (debating) The team tasked with presenting and speaking in favour of a resolution, as opposed to the opposition.
8. Ellipsis of government name, one's legal name according to a government.

Usage notes

• In the United States, "government" is considered to be divided into three branches: the legislature (the House of Representatives and the Senate) which makes law, the administration (under the President) which runs sections of government within the law, and the courts, which adjudicate on matters of the law. This is a much wider meaning of "government" than exists in the United Kingdom where governance and other words describe the process or power of governing generally and the term "government" is used more particularly for the ruling political force of the prime minister and their cabinet ministers (what Americans would call the administration). In Britain, the administrative organs of the nation are collectively referred to as "the state". In Canada government is used in both senses and neither state nor administration is used. Applied to many countries in continental Europe (when using English), the British usage is common.
• In Britain, the word is often capitalised when referring to the particular UK government. British and older works in general may distinguish between Government as the ruling body and government as the practice of governing.

Synonyms

• (administration, esp. over a country): administration, governance, management; statism (obs.)

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• ocracy

Further reading

• government on Wikipedia.Wikipedia