governor

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

the state's governor

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

the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve

2

: tutor

3

a

slang : one looked upon as governing

b

British, informal : 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

governorate

2 of 2

noun (2)

gov·​er·​nor·​ate -nərə̇t 

-ˌrāt

plural -s

: an administrative division ruled by a governor

Egypt is divided into … five governorates

—Egypt Almanac

Examples of governor in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

Noun

California's next governor will ultimately determine whether to accept or reject the board's recommendation. — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Twenty-three countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-member board of governors voted for Wednesday's resolution at IAEA headquarters in Vienna. — Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

Goaded on by a governor, who handpicked the university president and staged a coup to overthrow one athletic director in order to hire Kiffin, the bayou bandits are proudly wearing their black hats. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

Following the decision, PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan resigned from LIV’s board. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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