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

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms beat six opponents in the May Democratic primary for governor, winning 56% of the vote and avoiding a runoff. — Sophia Eppley, AJC.com, 16 July 2026

Valiollah Hayati, deputy governor for security and law enforcement of Khuzestan Province, where Ahvaz is located, reported that a strike caused damage to nearby homes and shattered the windows of some housing units, according to IRIB. — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

The governor’s September 2020 order directed the state to require all new cars and passenger trucks sold in the state after 2035 be zero-emission vehicles. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026

Nevada’s governor was pulled over by a Las Vegas police officer in May for allegedly failing to stop at a red light before making a right turn in his pickup truck. — Jessica Hill, Fortune, 15 July 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