Definition of governess
1 : a woman who governs
2 : a woman who cares for and supervises a child especially in a private household
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Recent Examples of governess from the Web
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The daughter of John Wenger, a butler, and Marie Foichat, a governess, the former Laurette Madelyn Wenger was born in Baltimore and raised in a Roland Park carriage house owned by the family for whom her parents worked.
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A few years ago, after returning to Canton to care for her dying grandmother, Sutherland found herself at a crossroads, contemplating another governess gig.
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A mathematician who moved to Peru to work as a governess, Reiche found her calling through a chance meeting with a mathematician who had photographed the Nazca Lines from an airplane.
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Someone told me that the man who introduced the governess Anna Leonowens to the king of Siam was buried in a Bukit Brown tomb, but the casual visitor will be hard-pressed to find it.
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Kirby Hoberg is a blithe and sunny Cecily, Jack’s strong-willed and hyper-imaginative ward, whose governess (a prim Maxine Sattizahn) has a romance of her own blossoming with the local rector (soft-spoken and sedate Lee Vogt).
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'governess.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of governess
15th century
GOVERNESS Defined for English Language Learners
governess
playDefinition of governess for English Language Learners
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: a woman who is paid to care for and teach a child in the child's house
GOVERNESS Defined for Kids
governess
playDefinition of governess for Students
: a woman who teaches and trains a child especially in a private home
Learn More about governess
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Spanish Central: Translation of governess Nglish: Translation of governess for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of governess for Arabic speakers
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