Verbs of Power Relations - Verbs for Exercising Power

Here you will learn some English verbs referring to exercising power such as "control", "rule", and "enslave".

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Verbs of Power Relations
to control
to control [verb]

to have power over a person, company, country, etc. and to decide how things should be done

Ex: As a parent , it 's important to guide and control your child 's behavior .
to rule
to rule [verb]

to control and be in charge of a country

Ex: The dictator ruled the country with an iron fist , suppressing dissent .
to reign
to reign [verb]

to have control and authority over a place, like a country

Ex: Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901 , marking the Victorian era .
to govern
to govern [verb]

to officially have the control and authority to rule over a country and manage its affairs

Ex: The prime minister 's role is to govern and lead the government in policy-making .
to tyrannize
to tyrannize [verb]

to act with excessive, unfair authority or harshness

Ex: The cruel king tyrannized over the villagers , taking whatever he wanted .
to crown
to crown [verb]

to place a crown on someone's head in a ceremony so that person officially becomes a king or queen

Ex: The majestic ceremony took place in the grand hall , where the queen was gracefully crowned by the royal dignitary .
to impose
to impose [verb]

to force someone to do what they do not want

Ex: Governments should avoid imposing excessive taxes that burden the citizens .
to dominate
to dominate [verb]

to have the power to completely or partially control someone or something

Ex: The powerful empire sought to dominate neighboring regions through conquest .
to enforce
to enforce [verb]

to make individuals to behave in a particular way

Ex: It 's challenging for a manager to enforce teamwork if there is a lack of motivation among team members .
to colonize
to colonize [verb]

to settle and build communities in new, often unexplored, areas

Ex: The expedition aimed to colonize the remote island and establish a thriving community .
to overrun
to overrun [verb]

to invade or overwhelm with a large number, surpassing defenses

Ex: The locusts threatened to overrun the agricultural fields , causing widespread crop damage .
to take over
to take over [verb]

to begin to be in charge of something, often previously managed by someone else

Ex:
to conquer
to conquer [verb]

to gain control of a place or people using armed forces

Ex: The general 's goal was to conquer the opposing forces and claim victory .
to subjugate
to subjugate [verb]

to gain control and governance over a person, group, or territory, often through conquest or forceful means

Ex: Historically , powerful nations often attempted to subjugate weaker territories through military campaigns .
to enslave
to enslave [verb]

to force someone into a condition of forced labor or work

Ex: Human trafficking is a grave crime that involves enslaving individuals for various purposes .
to usurp
to usurp [verb]

to wrongly take someone else's position, power, or right

Ex: The prince was accused of trying to usurp his elder brother 's position .
to quell
to quell [verb]

to forcefully stop or crush something

Ex: The leader took decisive action to quell any opposition within the organization .
to vote
to vote [verb]

to show which candidate one wants to win in an election or which plan one supports, by marking a piece of paper, raising one's hand, etc.

Ex: Yesterday , she enthusiastically voted for her preferred candidate .
to elect
to elect [verb]

to choose a person for a specific job, particularly a political one, by voting

Ex: Voters have the responsibility to elect representatives who align with their values .
to ballot
to ballot [verb]

to formally vote or make a choice, especially in elections, by marking a paper

Ex: Voters are encouraged to carefully ballot for the candidate they believe will best represent their interests .
to poll
to poll [verb]

to ask people specific questions to gather their opinions or preferences on a particular subject

Ex: Researchers often poll a diverse group of individuals to collect data for their studies .
to nominate
to nominate [verb]

to assign or designate someone to a particular position or responsibility

Ex: While the selection process was ongoing , members were nominating their colleagues for various honors .
to campaign
to campaign [verb]

to promote or advertise something, typically in a sustained and organized way

Ex: Political candidates tirelessly campaign to connect with voters and communicate their platforms .
to lobby
to lobby [verb]

to make an attempt to persuade politicians to agree or disagree with a law being made or changed

Ex: Advocacy groups regularly lobby for changes in healthcare legislation to better serve the public .
to crusade
to crusade [verb]

to passionately campaign or fight, often with a religious or moral purpose

Ex: The religious sect decided to crusade against what they believed to be immoral practices .
to petition
to petition [verb]

to write and submit an official written document

Ex: The students have been petitioning for changes to the school 's dress code .
to democratize
to democratize [verb]

to make a system more open and fair, giving everyone a chance and involving more people

Ex: The leaders implemented reforms to democratize decision-making processes within the organization .
Verbs of Power Relations
Verbs for Confinement and Liberation Verbs for Restriction Verbs for Deprivation Verbs for Exercising Power
Verbs for Reacting to Power Verbs for Management Verbs for Forgiveness and Disregard