lieutenant governor

noun

: a deputy or subordinate governor: such as

a

: an elected official serving as deputy to the governor of an American state

b

: the formal head of the government of a Canadian province appointed by the federal government as the representative of the crown

lieutenant governorship noun

Examples of lieutenant governor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

He is expected to be joined by Republican candidates for lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer and other state offices. — Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Although Barnes had pulled out a surprise victory in the 2022 Senate primary as a progressive candidate and won statewide as the state's first Black lieutenant governor in 2018, Hong had risen to be the frontrunner. — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026

Despite dropping out of the race, Barnes will still appear on the ballot, as will Sara Rodriguez, the lieutenant governor, and Missy Hughes, a former public administrator. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026

The current system was adopted by voters in 1958 following a notorious political scandal that saw a sitting governor conspire with the chief justice and his lieutenant governor to be appointed to the court after losing re-election. — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lieutenant governor

noun

1

: an elected official serving as deputy to the governor of an American state

2

: the formal head of the government of a Canadian province appointed to represent the crown