governorship

noun

gov·​er·​nor·​ship ˈgə-vᵊn-ər-ˌship 

also ˈgə-vər-nər-

1

: the office of governor

2

: the period of incumbency of a governor

Examples of governorship in a Sentence

a candidate for the governorship

The state has done well during her governorship.

Recent Examples on the Web

Democratic candidates who won governorship contests in Virginia and New Jersey promised steps to shield households from higher power prices driven by data centers. —Mark Niquette, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025

The action is set mainly in 2008, when Ella (played by Emma Mackey), a thirty-four-year-old policy wonk who is her unnamed state’s lieutenant governor, ascends to the governorship. —Hilton Als, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025

Texas Democrats have failed to win a statewide race since former Gov. Ann Richards won the governorship in 1990. —Jay Stahl, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025

Democrats swept the year’s two off-cycle gubernatorial contests, winning the governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, and New York City voters elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for governorship

• apostleship
• apprenticeship
• assistantship
• championship
• chancellorship
• citizenship
• companionship
• copartnership
• dictatorship
• directorship
• discipleship
• editorship