governor

noun

gov·er·nor | \ ˈgə-vᵊn-ər also ˈgə-vər-nər

Definition of governor

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

3a slang : one looked upon as governing

b : mister, sir —usually used as a term of address

4a : 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)

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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, a political enemy, ignored the warning and ordered the fleet to sail. — Tristram Korten, Smithsonian, "The Bahamas and the Caribbean Have Withstood Hurricanes for Centuries," 17 Sep. 2019 As of July 2017, at least thirty-eight states had had a senator, governor, or attorney general in the past ten years who was once a prosecutor, according to Fordham law professor Jed Shugerman, who has made a special study of the phenomenon. — Andrew Cockburn, Harper's magazine, "Power of Attorney," 16 Sep. 2019 Other speakers ranged from Brycen Dildy, a dynamic 11-year-old who garnered a standing ovation with his remarks about being kind to others, to Doug Wilder, the first African American governor of Virginia, who spoke at a leadership luncheon. — Donna M. Owens, Essence, "Commemorating 400 years Of Black History In Hampton, Virginia," 27 Aug. 2019 Rookie ball: Sacramento insiders are giving Gavin Newsom mixed reviews for his first legislative session as governor. — Willie Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Pundits laugh at Andrew Yang. Regular people don’t," 14 Sep. 2019 Brown has pledged to increase transparency under her watch since she was sworn in as governor in 2015. — oregonlive, "Oregon open records bill dies after governor’s staff privately contradicts her transparency pledge, documents show," 11 Sep. 2019 As governor, Newsom sits as an ex officio member of the CSU and UC boards. — Los Angeles Times, "California legislation inspired by college admissions scandal goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom," 11 Sep. 2019 Baker has been on the T before as a private citizen, but never as governor. — BostonGlobe.com, "Arriving by train would be a way to mark it as a special occasion. “It’s a big deal for the T and a big deal for the Red Line,” Baker explained.," 10 Sep. 2019 Nixon’s ’68 and ‘72 running mate, Spiro Agnew, resigned in disgrace in 1973 after being accused of bribery, extortion, and tax evasion during his tenure as Maryland governor. — Jay Cost, National Review, "In Praise of Gerald Ford," 9 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'governor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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9 Oct 2019

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

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More Definitions for governor

governor

noun

English Language Learners Definition of governor

: a person who is the leader of the government of a state, province, etc.

: a person who is part of a group of people who control a large organization, school, etc.

chiefly British : a person who is in charge of a school, prison, or other large organization or institution

See the full definition for governor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

governor

noun

gov·er·nor | \ ˈgə-vər-nər

, ˈgə-və-nər\

Kids Definition of governor

: a person who governs and especially the elected head of a state of the United States

governor

noun

gov·er·nor | \ ˈgə-vər-nər

Legal Definition of governor

: 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