Added 9 October 2026
governor
/ˈɡʌv(ə)nə/ noun
In Latin: gubernātor, gubernātrīx Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about governor at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The chief executive officer of a first-level administrative division of a country.
- A device which regulates or controls some action of a machine through automatic feedback.
- A member of a decision-making body (such as a committee) for a larger organization or entity (including some public agencies), similar to or equivalent to a board of directors (used especially for banks); a member of the board of governors.
Origin
From Middle English governour, from Old French gouvreneur, from Latin gubernator, from Ancient Greek κυβερνήτης (kubernḗtēs, “steersman, pilot, guide”), from κυβερνάω (kubernáō, “to steer, to drive, to guide, to act as a pilot”), of disputed origin. By surface analysis, govern + -or. Doublet of gubernator.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)