compensation, earnings, guerdon, penalty, remuneration, wages.
bestow, communicate, deliver, grant, supply. cede, confer, furnish, impart,
To _give_ is primarily to transfer to another's possession or ownership without compensation; in its secondary sense in popular use, it is to put into another's possession by any means and on any terms whatever; a buyer may say "_Give_ me the goods, and I will _give_ you the money;" we speak of _giving_ answers, information, etc., and often of _giving_ what is not agreeable to the recipient, as blows, medicine, reproof; but when there is nothing in the context to indicate the contrary, _give_ is always understood in its primary sense; as, this book was _given_ me. _Give_ thus becomes, like _get_, a term of such general import as to be a synonym for a wide variety of words. To _grant_ is to put into one's possession in some formal way, or by authoritative act; as, Congress _grants_ lands to a railroad corporation. To speak of _granting_ a favor carries a claim or concession of superiority on the part of the one by whom the _grant_ may be made; to _confer_ has a similar sense; as, to _confer_ a degree or an honor; we _grant_ a request or petition, but do not _confer_ it. To _impart_ is to _give_ of that which one still, to a greater or less degree, retains; the teacher _imparts_ instruction. To _bestow_ is to _give_ that of which the receiver stands in especial need; we _bestow_ alms.
We give money _to_ a person _for_ a thing, _for_ a purpose, etc. (or without proposition, _give_ a person a sum of money); we give a thing _to_ or _into_ one's care or keeping; the weary fugitive gave himself up _to_ his pursuers.
command, curb, influence, mold, reign over, rule, control, direct, manage, reign, restrain, sway.
_Govern_ carries the idea of authoritative administration or some exercise of authority that is at once effective and continuous; _control_ is effective, but may be momentary or occasional. One _controls_ what he holds or can hold at will absolutely in check; as, a skilful horseman _controls_ a spirited horse; a person _controls_ his temper; we say to one who is excited, "_control_ yourself." A person _commands_ another when he has, or claims, the right to make that other do his will, with power of inflicting penalty if not obeyed; he _controls_ another whom he can effectually prevent from doing anything contrary to his will; he _governs_ one whom he actually does cause, regularly or constantly, to obey his will; a parent may _command_ a child whom he can not _govern_ or _control_. The best teachers are not greatly prone to _command_, but _govern_ or _control_ their pupils largely by other means. _Command_ is, however, often used in the sense of securing, as well as requiring, submission or obedience, as when we speak of a _commanding_ influence; a man _commands_ the situation when he can shape events as he pleases; a fortress _commands_ the region when no enemy can pass against its resistance. _Govern_ implies the exercise of knowledge and judgment as well as power. To _rule_ is more absolute and autocratic than to _govern_; to _sway_ is to move by quiet but effectual influence; to _mold_ is not only to influence feeling and action, but to shape character; to _manage_ is to secure by skilful contrivance the doing of one's will by those whom one can not directly _control_; a wise mother, by gentle means, _sways_ the feelings and _molds_ the lives of her children; to be able to _manage_ servants is an important element of good housekeeping. The word _reign_, once so absolute, now simply denotes that one holds the official station of sovereign in a monarchy, with or without effective power; the Queen of England _reigns_; the Czar of Russia both _reigns_ and _rules_.