lieutenant governor

noun

: a deputy or subordinate governor: such as

a

: an elected official serving as deputy to the governor of an American state

b

: the formal head of the government of a Canadian province appointed by the federal government as the representative of the crown

lieutenant governorship noun

Examples of lieutenant governor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The last independent candidate for governor, Scott Lee Cohen, ran in 2010 after being pressured to step aside as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor over a past domestic battery charge. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Information about Florida’s governor, lieutenant governor and agriculture commissioner has not yet been removed from public records under the new law. — Angelique Rodriguez, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

In Ohio, Husted has been repeatedly attacked for his role in attracting data centers to Ohio as lieutenant governor. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

The lieutenant governor position is often seen as a placeholder for the governor’s mansion. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lieutenant governor

noun

1

: an elected official serving as deputy to the governor of an American state

2

: the formal head of the government of a Canadian province appointed to represent the crown