usage: the body of people who are citizens of a particular government; "governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed"--Declaration of Independence
Verb
1. regulate, regularize, regularise, order, govern, decide, make up one's mind, determine
usage: bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations; "We cannot regulate the way people dress"; "This town likes to regulate"
2. govern, control, command
usage: direct or strongly influence the behavior of; "His belief in God governs his conduct"
3. govern, rule, control, command
usage: exercise authority over; as of nations; "Who is governing the country now?"
4. govern, necessitate, ask, postulate, need, require, take, involve, call for, demand
usage: require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood; "most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German"