governor

noun

gov·​er·​nor ˈgə-vᵊn-ər 

 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

c

: commanding officer

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 

-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

In response to those cuts, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California would challenge the action in court and double down on recruitment for the California Service Corps, which is the country’s largest service program, according to a news release from the governor’s office. —Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025

What To Know According to the governor's office, the order applies to all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds with flags remaining at half-staff from sunrise to sunset. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025

The governor of Zaporizhzhia province, Ivan Fedorov, says Ukraine will never accept the loss of its lands under occupation. —Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 27 Apr. 2025

The region’s governor, Mohammad Ashouri, declared three days of mourning. —Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing governor

• governor-general
• lieutenant governor

Kids Definition

governor

noun

gov·​er·​nor ˈgəv(-ə)-nər 

 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 

: 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