governance
Americannoun
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government, control, or authority
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the action, manner, or system of governing
Other Word 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
The ban was not backed by a formal law, which made it weak and potentially unenforceable, said Farai Maguwu, director of the mining watchdog Centre for Natural Resource Governance.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
Daniel Schiff, a professor of technology policy at Purdue University and the co-director of their Governance and Responsible AI Lab, told Salon he sees a variety of factors at work.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 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
I had written so far when I received Mr. Gomme's very interesting volume on the Governance of London.
From Memorials of Old London Volume I by Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
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.
