1. (n.) The office of ruler; rule; authority; government.

2. (a.) Especially, the office, jurisdiction, or dominion of a regent or vicarious ruler, or of a body of regents; deputed or vicarious government.

3. (n.) A body of men entrusted with vicarious government; as, a regency constituted during a king's minority, absence from the kingdom, or other disability.

absolute monarchy aedileship agency agentship archbishopric archiepiscopacy archiepiscopate aristocracy assignment autarchy authority authorization autocracy autonomy bishopric brevet care chairmanship chancellery chancellorate chancellorship charge chiefery chiefry chieftaincy chieftainry chieftainship coalition government colonialism commission commissioning commitment commonwealth consignment constitutional government constitutional monarchy consulate consulship cure deanery delegated authority delegation democracy deputation devolution devolvement dictatorship dictature directorship dominion rule duarchy duumvirate dyarchy embassy emirate empowerment entrusting entrustment episcopacy errand executorship exequatur factorship federal government federation feudal system full power garrison state gerontocracy governorship headship hegemony heteronomy hierarchy hierocracy home rule jurisdiction leadership legation license lieutenancy limited monarchy lordship magistracy magistrateship magistrature mandate martial law masterdom mastership mastery mayoralty mayorship meritocracy metropolitanate metropolitanship militarism military government mission mob rule mobocracy monarchy neocolonialism nobility ochlocracy office oligarchy pantisocracy papacy pashadom pashalic patriarchate patriarchy plenipotentiary power police state pontificality pontificate popedom popehood popeship power of attorney power to act prefectship prefecture premiership presidency presidentship prime-ministership prime-ministry princedom princeship principality proconsulate proconsulship procuration protectorate protectorship provostry provostship proxy pure democracy purview rectorate rectorship regentship representative democracy representative government republic responsibility ruling class seigniory self-determination self-government seneschalship seneschalsy sheikhdom sheriffalty sheriffcy sheriffdom shrievalty social democracy stratocracy supervisorship suzerainship suzerainty task technocracy thearchy theocracy totalitarian government totalitarian regime triarchy tribunate triumvirate trust trusteeship tyranny vicarious authority vizierate viziership warrant welfare state