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
the state's governor
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
the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
2
: tutor
3
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
Thanks to a 2019 law, candidates for California governor must submit tax returns for the last five years.
—
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The craze reached its apex in 1916, when Wall Street bettors wagered $10m (about $300m today) on the contest between President Woodrow Wilson and Charles Hughes — who, as governor of New York, had signed an anti-gambling law trying to ban the practice.
—Kelli María Korducki, thehustle.co, 3 Apr. 2026
McCaughey is a Newsmax cable host who smiles big, talks fast and touts audacious promises — foremost among them, a vow to eliminate the income tax in Connecticut, an idea that was central to Republican Bob Stefanowski’s losing campaign for governor against Lamont in 2018.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the Kabul governor, said eight people were killed and a child was injured when a house collapsed on the outskirts of the capital.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for governor
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Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 4 Apr. 2026
The craze reached its apex in 1916, when Wall Street bettors wagered $10m (about $300m today) on the contest between President Woodrow Wilson and Charles Hughes — who, as governor of New York, had signed an anti-gambling law trying to ban the practice.
—Kelli María Korducki, thehustle.co, 3 Apr. 2026
McCaughey is a Newsmax cable host who smiles big, talks fast and touts audacious promises — foremost among them, a vow to eliminate the income tax in Connecticut, an idea that was central to Republican Bob Stefanowski’s losing campaign for governor against Lamont in 2018.
—Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
Hafizullah Basharat, a spokesman for the Kabul governor, said eight people were killed and a child was injured when a house collapsed on the outskirts of the capital.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for governor
Cite this Entry
“Governor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/governor. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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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