The rare daily word game sweeping the globe. Find what's hidden in plain sight.
GOVERN
Definition of GOVERN
verb
To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in.
Wiktionary · CC BY-SA
Where it comes from
From Middle English governen, governe, from Anglo-Norman and Old French governer, guverner, from Latin gubernō, from Ancient Greek κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer, drive, govern”). Displaced native Old English wealdan, whence modern dialectical English wald (“to govern”).
Etymology via Wiktionary (CC BY-SA).
Word DNA
Line of descent
5 recorded generations before English.
Deepest traced root
2nd
of 59 source languages in OUTLIER
12.6%
of traced words share this origin (3,706)
branch · 12.6% of traced words
How it is built
Same root, GOVERN · 2 relatives in the game
Its etymology also names Old English.
OUTLIER scores every word on how unusual it is, and that number is not published. Working it out at the board is the game.
GOVERN in OUTLIER
Players have found it on 37 boards so far. 96 players have found it across Outlier's history.
It first turned up on Day 5, 26 May 2026. The most recent board was Day 149, 16 October 2026. It was on the latest finished board.
First found by a player on Day 8, 29 May 2026.
Built from these letters
GOVERN starts with G and ends with N. Sorted, its letters read EGNORV - the shape to hunt for when the grid is scrambled. No letter is used twice, which makes it an isogram.
Words that start GOVERN
Its neighbours in the OUTLIER dictionary - shortest first.
Also seen on Day 5
Could you have found GOVERN?
OUTLIER is a daily word game. One grid, the same grid for everybody, and the words nobody else spots are the ones that pay. This word was on Day 5 - and most players walked straight past it.
Play today's OUTLIER