governor
noun
gov·er·nor
ˈgə-vᵊn-ər 
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
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)
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
In other states where Democrats control the governor's office and legislature, including Colorado and Washington, the party has backed independent commissions that cannot redraw, let alone rig, maps in the middle of the decade.
—
Arkansas Online, 3 Aug. 2025
Fed Governor Christopher Waller and Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman cast dissenting votes, marking the first time that more than one Fed governor has done so since 1993.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2025
Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler is stepping down from the central bank's board, giving President Donald Trump the chance to appoint an early replacement amid his monthslong campaign to badger Fed officials into lowering interest rates.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
Per Lieber, the governor got onboard the project shortly after she was elected.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for governor
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show current usage.
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Arkansas Online, 3 Aug. 2025
Fed Governor Christopher Waller and Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman cast dissenting votes, marking the first time that more than one Fed governor has done so since 1993.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2025
Federal Reserve governor Adriana Kugler is stepping down from the central bank's board, giving President Donald Trump the chance to appoint an early replacement amid his monthslong campaign to badger Fed officials into lowering interest rates.
—Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
Per Lieber, the governor got onboard the project shortly after she was elected.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for governor
Cite this Entry
“Governor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/governor. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
governor
noun
gov·er·nor
ˈgəv(-ə)-nər
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
noun
-ˌship
Legal Definition
governor
noun
gov·er·nor
ˈgə-vər-nər
: 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
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