lieutenant governor

noun

: a deputy or subordinate governor: such as

a

: an elected official serving as deputy to the governor of an American state

b

: the formal head of the government of a Canadian province appointed by the federal government as the representative of the crown

lieutenant governorship noun

Examples of lieutenant governor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a position such as lieutenant governor, where much of the office’s duties involve being only one of multi-member boards, radical positions tend to be largely drowned out by the majority, rendering the office even less effective. —Rafael Perez, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026

Jan Jones' embrace of Jackson could be the start of a tide of state House Republicans rejecting the lieutenant governor after years of feeling burned by his attempts to impose his will on the lower chamber. —CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026

Jan Jones’ embrace of Jackson could be the start of a tide of state House Republicans rejecting the lieutenant governor after years of feeling burned by his attempts to impose his will on the lower chamber. —ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026

When the governor of California leaves the state, the lieutenant governor technically serves as acting governor. —Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lieutenant governor

noun

1

: an elected official serving as deputy to the governor of an American state

2

: the formal head of the government of a Canadian province appointed to represent the crown