governance

noun

gov·​er·​nance ˈgə-vər-nən(t)s 

plural governances

: the act or process of governing or overseeing the control and direction of something (such as a country or an organization) : government

a centralized system of governance

the challenges of national governance

… the governance of amateur sport in America …

—P. S. Wood

… three years before he died, [Lionel] Trilling pressed the point that the way a nation thinks determines in the end the quality of its governance.

—Benjamin DeMott

Enron, and the corporate disasters that followed, forced many companies to get serious about governance.

—Louis Lavelle

Theirs was the perennial problem of quick-witted subjects under the governance of dull-witted administrators.

—Declan Kiberd

Michael Dukakis, at the 1988 Democratic convention, said governance was about competence, not ideology. He got it half right: Competence is important to governance, but ideology is critical …

—U.S. News & World Report

Synonyms

• administration
• authority
• government
• jurisdiction
• regime
• régime
• regimen
• rule

Examples of governance in a Sentence

They have very different approaches to the governance of the city.

after World War II, the four Allied nations shared the governance of the territory of postwar Germany under the Allied Control Council

Recent Examples on the Web

Reforms on the table include how to give greater roles to women in the Catholic Church, including ordaining them as deacons, and the greater inclusion of laity in governance and decision making. —Christopher Lamb, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025

Still, in the midst of Nigeria’s political fragility — marked by coups, violence, and widespread distrust among citizens who protested bad governance again last summer — Rema is being strategic about his allegiances. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025

Florida lawmakers have enacted laws in recent years aiming to increase transparency in community association governance and board member accountability, and to require milestone inspections and funding of structural-integrity reserves. —Roberto C. Blanch, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025

Corporate governance structures are evolving to better address cyber risks. —Nils Puhlmann, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see govern

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing governance

• self-governance

Kids Definition

governance

noun

gov·​er·​nance ˈgəv-ər-nən(t)s 

: the exercise of control : government