governorship

American

[guhv-er-ner-ship, -uh-ner-] / ˈgʌv ər nərˌʃɪp, -ə nər- /

noun

the duties, term in office, etc., of a governor.

governorship British

/ ˈɡʌvənəˌʃɪp /

noun

the office, jurisdiction, or term of a governor

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

subgovernorship

noun

Etymology

Origin of governorship

First recorded in 1635–45; governor + -ship

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.

See Examples For:

governorship

He compared the enthusiasm he’s seen among independents and moderates for the Democratic Party to 2006, the last time his party won the governorship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

In November 2025, Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s governorship in a landslide after promising to make data centers “pay their own way and their fair share.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

This unease has given Democrats hope of flipping the governorship, where Lahn will now face off in November against Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

Predictably, that result has been seized upon as evidence of a collapsing governorship.

From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2026

"I am sorry you left the governorship so soon," the Duke said.

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023