English Language Learners Definition of government. : the group of people who control and make decisions for a country, state, etc. : a particular system used for controlling a country, state, etc. : the process or manner of controlling a country, state, etc. See the full definition for government in the English Language Learners Dictionary.

government, the political system by which a country or community is administered and regulated. Most of the key words commonly used to describe governments—words such as monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy —are of Greek or Roman origin. They have been current for more than 2,000 years and have not yet exhausted their usefulness.