reign vs rein :

reign or rein

A king or queen reigns, but you rein in a horse. The expression “to give rein” means to give in to an impulse as a spirited horse gives in to its impulse to gallop when you slacken the reins. Similarly, the correctexpression is “free rein,” not “free reign."

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Definitions
  reign
  • n  a period during which something or somebody is dominant or powerful
    he was helpless under the reign of his egotism
  • n  the period during which a monarch is sovereign
    during the reign of Henry VIII
  • n  royal authority; the dominion of a monarch
  • v  have sovereign power
    Henry VIII reigned for a long time
  • v  be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance
    Money reigns supreme here
  rein
  • n  one of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse
  • n  any means of control
    he took up the reins of government
  • v  control and direct with or as if by reins
    rein a horse
  • v  stop or slow up one's horse or oneself by or as if by pulling the reins
    They reined in in front of the post office
  • v  stop or check by or as if by a pull at the reins
    He reined in his horses in front of the post office
  • v  keep in check
News & Articles
  reign
  rein
  • Indonesia’s Delayed Fuel Decision Haunts Rupiah: Southeast Asia
    Indonesia’s government needs to rein in fuel subsidies that have spurred a current-account deficit to support efforts by the central bank to stabilize the weakening rupiah, economists say.
    June 12, 2013 - Bloomberg
  • Pakistan tries anew to end insurgency in resource-rich Baluchistan
    By Mehreen Zahra-Malik ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has pledged to rein in human rights abuses by security forces in the huge, resource-rich province of Baluchistan as a first step towards starting talks to end a long-running insurgency waged by guerrillas seeking an independent homeland. The new chief minister of the province bordering Afghanistan and Iran urged security forces, who deny ...
    June 12, 2013 - Reuters via Yahoo! News
  • Day’s Worst: Sen. Lindsey Graham says he’s OK with government reading our mail
    While many politicians have called for the government to rein in its spying on Americans’ internet and phone activities, others have defended the practices as necessary to protect our safety. And then there’s Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who says he’d be fine with the government censoring the mail. “In World War II, the [...]
    June 12, 2013 - Denver Post