Meaning of govern

(verb) bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations; "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes to regulate"

direct or strongly influence the behavior of; "His belief in God governs his conduct"

exercise authority over; as of nations; "Who is governing the country now?"

require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood; "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German"