Govian

comparative more Govian · superlative most Govian

1. UKgovernmentRelating to British politician Michael Gove (1967–).

   Polly Toynbee is spot on in her excoriation of Govian Gradgrindery. The inevitable marginalisation of the supposedly "soft" arts subjects in the state sector is a scandal.

   2013 November 7, Ian Barge, “Children must learn to question, not simply obey”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

2. human sciencesRelating to American lexicographer Philip Babcock Gove.

   Some of those address Govian tics that have annoyed lexicographers for 50 years, like the Third's refusal to capitalize any headword (except, against Gove's wishes, God) and the limited use of descriptive labels like slang.

   2015 January 12, Stefan Fatsis, “Merriam-Webster Wants to Reinvent the Dictionary for the Digital Age. Should It Bother?”, in Slate, New York, N.Y.: The Slate Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Mar 2026