government

gov|ern|ment [ `gʌvərnmənt ] noun ***

1. ) count or uncount the people who control a country, region, or city and make decisions about its laws and taxes:

The Mexican government has announced its plans to raise the minimum wage next year.

a democratically elected government

federal/central government (=government for an entire country): The laws will take power from the federal government and give it to state and local authorities.

state/local government (=government for a state or city): The tax surplus is to be given to local governments to spend as they see fit.

under a government (=during the government of a particular party): Under the Conservative government things were very different.

a ) the members of the main political party in a legislature, or the members of the CABINET (=the group of politicians with the most important jobs) in a system with a legislature:

form a government (=choose the people who will have the most important jobs in the government): The party with an overall majority is then asked to form a government.

coalition government (=in which members of different parties have important jobs in the government): The Congress Party is threatening to quit the coalition government.

b ) only before noun relating to a government, especially a national government:

government employees

2. ) uncount the process, method, or effects of governing:

I'm not sure these reforms will necessarily lead to more effective government.

big government (=a situation in which the government has a lot of power): Conservatives hope that the era of big government is over.