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

Del Mar is an entrepreneur who has also served as a village councilman in Palatine, and ran for lieutenant governor in 2022 as Gary Rabine's running mate. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026

Newsom decided to withdraw and run for lieutenant governor, biding his time in exchange for entrée to Sacramento in Brown’s shadow. —Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2026

The red-brick residence, built in the Federal style and completed in 1798, was Beshear’s home from age 6 to 10 when his father, Steve, lived there while serving as lieutenant governor. —Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

That includes the races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state. —Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 29 Jan. 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