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

Spanberger ultimately declared victory with a more than 15 point-margin against her Republican opponent, then-lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and flipped control of the governor’s mansion in the process. —Chantelle Lee, Time, 24 Feb. 2026

Miller is the first immigrant and woman of color to serve as the state's lieutenant governor. —Adam Thompson, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026

Lieutenant governor and congressional races None of the three Democratic candidates running for lieutenant governor claimed enough support to net a party endorsement either. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 22 Feb. 2026

Additionally, the races for lieutenant governor and attorney general have become more crowded. —Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 21 Feb. 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