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

The main action takes place in 2008, when Ella is elevated from lieutenant governor to governor of her unspecified home state. —Esther Zuckerman, Time, 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

Mackey stars as the title character, an idealistic lieutenant governor who gets the top job when her boss/mentor (Albert Brooks) heads to Washington for a cabinet position. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025

The story skips over Ella’s rise from political wonk to lieutenant governor in the office of Albert Brooks’ avuncular Governor Bill. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025

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