rule (v)
govern (v)

Definition: exercise authority over
Example: Who is governing the country now?.

regulate (v)
regularize (v)
regularise (v)
order (v)
govern (v)

Definition: bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage
Example: We cannot regulate the way people dress. This town likes to regulate.

govern (v)

Definition: require to be in a certain grammatical case, voice, or mood
Example: most transitive verbs govern the accusative case in German.

govern (v)

Definition: direct or strongly influence the behavior of
Example: His belief in God governs his conduct.