gubernatorial

adjective

gu·​ber·​na·​to·​ri·​al ˌgü-bər-nə-ˈtȯr-ē-əl How to pronounce gubernatorial (audio)
ˌgyü-, 
ˌgu̇-, 
-bə-
: of or relating to a governor
the gubernatorial election

Examples of gubernatorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Shah came in second in this year’s Maine Democratic gubernatorial primary. — ABC News, 7 July 2026 Nirav Shah, 49 Shah placed second in the gubernatorial primary this year. — Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 7 July 2026 Jackson, who finished third in last month’s gubernatorial primary, is seen as the progressive candidate most acceptable to Platner’s base of support. — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2026 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra has made an employer charge part of his election platform. — Geoff Mulvihill, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gubernatorial

Word History

Etymology

Latin gubernator governor, steersman, from gubernare to govern — more at govern

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gubernatorial was in 1734

Rhymes for gubernatorial

See All Rhymes for gubernatorial

Browse Nearby Words

gubernator
gubernatorial
gubernatrix
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gubernatorial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gubernatorial. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

gubernatorial

adjective
gu·​ber·​na·​to·​ri·​al ˌgüb-ə(r)-nə-ˈtōr-ē-əl How to pronounce gubernatorial (audio)
ˌgyüb-, 
-ˈtȯr-
: of or relating to a governor

More from Merriam-Webster on gubernatorial

Nglish: Translation of gubernatorial for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All