gubernatorial
Gubernatorial (adjective) means relating to a governor, especially the governor of a US state, or to the office and election of one. Example: “Three candidates have entered the gubernatorial race in Ohio.”
How to Use Gubernatorial
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo do with a state governor or their election.
Formal and almost entirely American political and journalistic usage; it has no ordinary conversational use.
There is no adjective 'governorial' — gubernatorial is the only accepted form, which is why it looks so unlike the noun governor.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Three candidates have entered the _____ race in Ohio.
Etymology
From Latin gubernator 'steersman, governor', from gubernare 'to steer', itself from Greek kybernan.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for gubernatorial
See all rhymes for gubernatorial →Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it gubernatorial and not governorial?
Governor reached English through French, which softened the Latin gubernator into governeur. The adjective was borrowed later and directly from the Latin stem gubernator-, so it kept the original b and u. The two words share an ancestor but took different routes.
What is the difference between gubernatorial and presidential elections?
A gubernatorial election chooses the governor who heads an individual state's executive branch. A presidential election chooses the national head of state and government. They run on different cycles, and many states deliberately hold gubernatorial races in non-presidential years.