governess
noun
gov·ern·ess
ˈgə-vər-nəs 
1
: a woman who governs
2
: a woman who cares for and supervises a child especially in a private household
Examples of governess in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Mitford girls were prohibited from attending school—they were meant to be sparkling society wives, and so were given lessons at home, supervised by a collection of insufferable governesses.
—
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Among the middle and upper classes, music was generally seen as a female accomplishment, and teaching its rudiments to children was typically left to mothers, governesses, or schoolmistresses.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Nov. 2025
Based on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, the story — about an emotionally unstable governess (Deborah Kerr) who becomes convinced that there’s something very wrong with her young charges — has inspired multiple films and TV series, including Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Bly Manor.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
His father worked as a janitor and mother a governess.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for governess
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Among the middle and upper classes, music was generally seen as a female accomplishment, and teaching its rudiments to children was typically left to mothers, governesses, or schoolmistresses.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Nov. 2025
Based on Henry James' The Turn of the Screw, the story — about an emotionally unstable governess (Deborah Kerr) who becomes convinced that there’s something very wrong with her young charges — has inspired multiple films and TV series, including Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Bly Manor.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
His father worked as a janitor and mother a governess.
—Jan Goldsmith, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for governess
Cite this Entry
“Governess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/governess. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
governess
noun
gov·ern·ess
ˈgəv-ər-nəs
: a woman who teaches and trains a child in a private home
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share