governance
Americannoun
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government, control, or authority
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the action, manner, or system of governing
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of governance
1325–75; Middle English governaunce < Old French < Medieval Latin gubernantia; see govern, -ance
Explanation
You've heard of governors and government, and governance is related. It’s the nuts and bolts of how towns or states or countries operate, and it can also apply to companies. Corporate governance is how large companies are organized and run. Governments use the powers you give it to pass laws and enforce them, fix your roads, collect taxes — all those things you can’t do alone — and the act of doing that is called governance. Corporations have their own sort of government — they're run by boards of directors who tackle issues of governance, making sure the company is run responsibly. Scholars study theories of governance — ideas about how society should be organized to benefit everyone.
Vocabulary lists containing governance
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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Content Summary 5.6: Reactions to Imperialism
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Richard Wyn Jones, director of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, thinks ap Iorwerth's confidence on the question of internal pushback is well-placed.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
“Let’s just be like the rest of America,” said Mahdavi, who directs UCSB’s Energy Governance and Political Economy lab.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
Guest: Steven Feldstein, political scientist and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
Researchers at the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance pointed out in a report External link last April that stocks often trail the broader market once activists get what they want.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
A revised edition of this work, with a very valuable historical and biographical introduction, was published in 1885 by Charles Plummer, under the title The Governance of England.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 6 "Foraminifera" to "Fox, Edward" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
