governor

noun

gov·​er·​nor ˈgə-vᵊn-ər How to pronounce governor (audio)
 also  ˈgə-vər-nər
1
: one that governs: such as
a
: one that exercises authority especially over an area or group
b
: an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or nominal head of a political unit
d
: the managing director and usually the principal officer of an institution or organization
e
: a member of a group that directs or controls an institution or society
2
: tutor
3
a
slang : one looked upon as governing
b
: mister, sir
usually used as a term of address
4
a
: an attachment to a machine (such as a gasoline engine) for automatic control or limitation of speed
b
: a device giving automatic control (as of pressure or temperature)
governorate
ˈgə-vᵊn-ər-ət How to pronounce governor (audio)
-ˌāt
 also  ˈgə-vər-nər-
noun

Examples of governor in a Sentence

the governor of the state of Florida He was the chairman of the board of governors at the school. the governor of the Bank of England Wait here while I get the governor.
Recent Examples on the Web The governor’s office declined to comment on the smaller but still substantial cuts that the agency ultimately approved, outside of brief positive reference in a news release. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Taking a lesson from Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama recast his campaign away from his first-term record and set out to discredit his opponent, Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, as a wealthy businessman unsympathetic to working-class Americans. Adam Nagourney, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 But someone else is even more upset, namely the serial killer — wearing a mask featuring the bearded face of John Carver, the Pilgrim who became the first governor of Plymouth Colony — who begins dispatching people who were at the store on that fateful night. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Nov. 2023 One account from a person present at the event is from a letter by Edward Winslow, one of the founders and governor of the Plymouth colony. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023 With Senator Tim Scott (R., S.C.) out of the 2024 presidential race, voters can expect the battle between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley to heat up, strategists say, with the former South Carolina governor well positioned to win over Scott’s supporters. Brittany Bernstein, National Review, 15 Nov. 2023 While the Democratic Party’s prominent governors and senators have still not chosen to challenge Mr. Biden, the White House may already understand that the relatively obscure man from the Land of 10,000 Lakes could be a formidable opponent. James Freeman, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023 And on October 8 of this year, California’s governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill updating the state’s Health and Safety Code to ban cosmetic products that contain ingredients including formaldehyde, methylene glycol and a range of parabens and phthalates. Syris Valentine, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023 In Morning Consult's approval polling for the third quarter of 2023, Reeves ranked as the second least-popular governor in the nation. Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'governor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of governor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near governor

Cite this Entry

“Governor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/governor. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

governor

noun
gov·​er·​nor ˈgəv(-ə)-nər How to pronounce governor (audio)
 also  ˈgəv-ər-nər
1
: one that governs
especially : an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or head of a political unit (as a colony, state, or province)
2
: an attachment to a machine for automatic control of speed
governorship
-ˌship
noun

Legal Definition

governor

noun
gov·​er·​nor ˈgə-vər-nər How to pronounce governor (audio)
: one that governs: as
a
: one that exercises authority especially over an area or group
b
: an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or nominal head of a political unit
specifically : the chief executive of a U.S. state
c
: the managing director and usually the principal officer of an institution or organization
d
: a member of a group that controls or directs an institution
the Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors
governorship noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!