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

David Toland, Kansas’ lieutenant governor and commerce secretary, is expected to provide LCC members with an update Monday on the status of negotiations with the Chiefs. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Dec. 2025

The movie follows Ella, a 32-year-old woman working as a lieutenant governor in an unnamed state in 2008. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 20 Dec. 2025

For instance, while most of the movie is about the title character, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor played by Emma Mackey, there is an overlong subplot about Ella’s younger brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), that encapsulates the tonal dysfunction of the movie. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025

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

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