GOVERNOR Definition & Meaning

View synonyms for

governor

[ guhv-er-ner, ‑uh-ner ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the executive head of a state in the U.S.
a person charged with the direction or control of an institution, society, etc.:
the governors of a bank; the governor of a prison.
Also called governor general. the representative of the crown, as in the Commonwealth of Nations.
a ruler or chief magistrate appointed to govern a province, town, fort, or the like.
Machinery. a device for maintaining uniform speed regardless of changes of load, as by regulating the supply of fuel or working fluid.
British Informal.
1. one's father.
2. one's employer.
3. any man of superior rank or status.

governor

/ ˈɡʌ��ə��ə /

noun

a person who governs
the ruler or chief magistrate of a colony, province, etc
the representative of the Crown in a British colony
the senior administrator or head of a society, prison, etc
the chief executive of any state in the US
a device that controls the speed of an engine, esp by regulating the supply of fuel, etc, either to limit the maximum speed or to maintain a constant speed
Also calledhead grammar
1. a word in a phrase or clause that is the principal item and gives the function of the whole, as hat in the big red hat
2. ( as modifier )
  a governor noun
informal.
a name or title of respect for a father, employer, etc

Discover More

Pronunciation Note

In governor, the process of dissimilation—the tendency for neighboring like sounds to become unlike or for one of them to disappear entirely—commonly results in the loss of the first [r] of [guhv, -er-ner], producing the pronunciation [guhv, -, uh, -ner]. This pronunciation is heard even in regions where postvocalic [r] is not usually dropped. A further loss, of the medial unstressed vowel, results in [guhv, -ner]. All three pronunciations are standard. See colonel, February, library.

Discover More

Other �y��vlog Forms

��ܲ�·��Ǳ�İ�·�Դǰ� noun
�ܲ�d��·��Ǳ�İ�·�Դǰ� noun

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of governor¹

1250–1300; Middle English governour < Old French governeor, gouverneur < Latin ��ܲ��ō��, accusative of ��ܲ��ٴǰ�, equivalent to ��ܲ��(��) to steer, govern + -tor -tor

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A woman seated next to Lance Bottoms said that the Georgian is running for governor and urged fellow attendees to hold fundraisers for her.

From

Asked to explain his action, he stated, “I was upset with the governor’s treatment of the president.”

From

Andrew Bailey, the Bank of England governor, said it was Bank's job "to make sure that inflation stays low and stable" and that would be "looking very closely" at the impact of tariffs.

From

Trump is expected to be a major focus of the governor’s race in a state that is once again expected to be a leading force in efforts to fight the Trump administration.

From

Questions about former Vice President Kamala Harris’ plans have swirled since she lost her presidential bid — notably about whether the former California senator and attorney general will run for governor next year.

From

Browse