# governor

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡʌv(ə)nə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #1,998

## Definitions
1. The chief executive officer of a first-level administrative division of a country.
2. A device which regulates or controls some action of a machine through automatic feedback.
3. 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.
4. Father.
5. Boss; employer; gaffer.
6. Term of address to a man; guv'nor.
7. A constituent of a phrase that governs another.
8. One who has the care or guardianship of a young man; a tutor; a guardian.
9. A pilot; a steersman.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **governs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/governor-vs-governs)
- **govern** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/govern-vs-governor)
- **governed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/governed-vs-governor)

## Common misspellings (12)
`ggovernor`, `goevrnor`, `govenror`, `governnor`, `governorr`, `governro`, `goveronr`, `goverrnor`, `govrenor`, `govvernor`, `gvoernor`, `ogvernor`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/governor