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Glite Dictionary
gubernatorial

gubernatorial

38 9.1
Relating to a state governor or the governor's job
  • adjective
  • /ˌɡuːbərˈneɪtərɪəl/
  • US
: relativo al gobernador
  • In fact, their nominations for the gubernatorial race precluded their candidacy for the 1996 election.
  • a gubernatorial election
  • a gubernatorial candidate
  • a gubernatorial race

Or again, Georgia, where Governor Kemp handily defeated Stacey Abrams in the gubernatorial race, but Herschel Walker is struggling.

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Examples

  • The CEC scheduled twenty-eight public political forums and two television forums for the gubernatorial candidates.

    Academic text (1995)

  • State Attorney General Michael J. Bowers, considering his own gubernatorial bid, supported the proposal.

    Academic text (2008)

  • We've got a gubernatorial election coming up this fall.

    Death Warrant (1990)

  • Last time, the mayor had a huge rally for the gubernatorial candidate and Obama.

    Blog text (14)

  • Gubernatorial candidate George Dillworthy and his children...

    The Big Fix (1978)

  • The DPP completed its primary election on 31 July when members voted for gubernatorial candidates.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Senator Votto was in the city campaigning for Governor Williams in next month's gubernatorial election.

    You Were Never Really Here (2017)

  • The Chicago Tribune asked the gubernatorial candidates in Illinois for their views on education, gambling, airport construction, and taxes.

    Academic text (2000)

  • The Republican gubernatorial candidate, Pierre A. Rinfret, is pro-choice and will campaign on that platform.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The gubernatorial debate focused on important issues facing the state.

Surface Forms

gubernatorial positive

Morphology

gubernatorial = governor (opaque) = gubernator + ial

Although the adjective denotes relation to a governor, the stem 'gubern-' is irregular compared with the common English base 'governor', so the formation is not transparently deducible by an average learner.

Etymology

The word gubernatorial comes from the old Latin root gubern-, which means 'to steer', like steering a ship. So gubernatorial relates to a governor, the person who 'steers' or leads a state.