governor

noun

gov·​er·​nor ˈgə-vᵊn-ər How to pronounce governor (audio)
 also  ˈgə-vər-nər
1
: one that governs: such as
a
: one that exercises authority especially over an area or group
b
: an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or nominal head of a political unit
d
: the managing director and usually the principal officer of an institution or organization
e
: a member of a group that directs or controls an institution or society
2
: tutor
3
a
slang : one looked upon as governing
b
: mister, sir
usually used as a term of address
4
a
: an attachment to a machine (such as a gasoline engine) for automatic control or limitation of speed
b
: a device giving automatic control (as of pressure or temperature)
governorate
ˈgə-vᵊn-ər-ət How to pronounce governor (audio)
-ˌāt
 also  ˈgə-vər-nər-
noun

Examples of governor in a Sentence

the governor of the state of Florida He was the chairman of the board of governors at the school. the governor of the Bank of England Wait here while I get the governor.
Recent Examples on the Web Then Feinstein died last year, setting off a days-long political mess, mostly of the governor’s own making. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 In 2014, Republican Larry Hogan rode a wave of discontent over those tax increases to an upset victory in the governor’s race. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The most recent was 68 years ago, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, trounced Adlai E. Stevenson II, the Democratic former governor of Illinois, for a second time. Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The original Bagman told the story of Benjo Malaya, a neighborhood barber who lands a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption and political turmoil. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024 The Senate approved a swath of the governor's picks last fall, some of whom had been serving more than three years unconfirmed. Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 Follow more of our reporting on Reality Check Local MO governor’s office says Britt Reid served more time than most for DWI. Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024 The governor has tried to toughen her public safety platform after Republicans swept in the state’s congressional races in 2022, after campaigning on crime issues. USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Slater's win Monday night came after a year of infighting among committee members, dysfunction that hindered efforts to elect a Republican governor and left the county committee with nearly no money. Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'governor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of governor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near governor

Cite this Entry

“Governor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/governor. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

governor

noun
gov·​er·​nor ˈgəv(-ə)-nər How to pronounce governor (audio)
 also  ˈgəv-ər-nər
1
: one that governs
especially : an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or head of a political unit (as a colony, state, or province)
2
: an attachment to a machine for automatic control of speed
governorship
-ˌship
noun

Legal Definition

governor

noun
gov·​er·​nor ˈgə-vər-nər How to pronounce governor (audio)
: one that governs: as
a
: one that exercises authority especially over an area or group
b
: an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or nominal head of a political unit
specifically : the chief executive of a U.S. state
c
: the managing director and usually the principal officer of an institution or organization
d
: a member of a group that controls or directs an institution
the Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors
governorship noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!