Definition of governor
1 : one that governs: such asa : one that exercises authority especially over an area or groupb : an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or nominal head of a political unitc : commanding officerd : the managing director and usually the principal officer of an institution or organizatione : a member of a group that directs or controls an institution or society
2 : tutor
3a slang : one looked upon as governingb : 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 speedb : a device giving automatic control (as of pressure or temperature)
From the M-W Editors
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 of governor from the Web
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In March, the governor purchased the mansion and 10 of those 19 acres from Neil Ramsey, a Bevin donor who lives next door to the property, for $1.6 million.
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The governor says Facebook is an important partner as New Mexico works to diversify its economy.
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That’s why local districts were alarmed by the governor’s concession to the trucking industry, said Tom Addison, legislative and policy adviser for the Bay Area air district.
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Richardson did briefly in 2012 during a ceremony involving then-South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.
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Read more about the board and Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker’s suggestions to the governor.
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Rammed through both chambers of the state legislature on party lines, the bill now awaits the signature of Democratic governor Kate Brown.
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Forty organizations have urged the governor and the state Department of Environmental Protection to deny two environmental permits needed for the pipeline to be built.
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In some cases, the nominating committee is allowed to submit two names to the governor.
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.
First Known Use of governor
14th century
GOVERNOR Defined for English Language Learners
governor
playDefinition of governor for English Language Learners
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: a person who is the leader of the government of a state, province, etc.
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: a person who is part of a group of people who control a large organization, school, etc.
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: a person who is in charge of a school, prison, or other large organization or institution
GOVERNOR Defined for Kids
governor
playDefinition of governor for Students
: a person who governs and especially the elected head of a state of the United States
Law Dictionary
governor
playLegal 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
governorship
nounLearn More about governor
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Spanish Central: Translation of governor Nglish: Translation of governor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of governor for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about governor
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