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Definition of "government" [gov•ern•ment]

  • The act or process of governing, especially the control and administration of public policy in a political unit. (noun)
  • The office, function, or authority of a governing individual or body. (noun)
  • Exercise of authority in a political unit; rule. (noun)
  • The agency or apparatus through which a governing individual or body functions and exercises authority. (noun)
  • A governing body or organization, as: (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "government" in a sentence
  • "But if the duty of the government is to prevent violations of the rights of individuals (and I believe it is) and punish those violations in proportion to their severity (seems reasonable) then, perhaps, these activities aren't so very far apart as far as * government* is concerned?"
  • "The U.S. government has seldom been perfect, but it has been very helpful to its citizens, providing everything from farm-to-market roads, to interstate highways, to silicon chips yes, Fairchild conductor built them, but for the *government* first, to the internet."
  • "“When someone asks us whether we want a sectarian government the answer is ’no we do not want a sectarian government’ — not because the U.S. ambassador says so or issues a warning. '"