Meanings
noungovernance (countable and uncountable, plural governances)
plural governances · alternative gouvernance · alternative gouvernaunce · alternative governaunce
- countableuncountableThe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration.
But was it responsible governance to pass the Longitude Act without other efforts to protect British seamen? Or might it have been subterfuge—a disingenuous attempt to shift attention away from the realities of their life at sea.
2012 March 28, William E. Carter, Merri Sue Carter, “The British Longitude Act Reconsidered”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 87Synonyms: administration, government, management, statism
- countableuncountableThe group of people who make up an administrative body.
- countableuncountableThe state of being governed.
- countableuncountablemanagementAccountability for consistent, cohesive policies, processes and decision rights.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration.
Narrower
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something
Similar
Broader
nounthe act of governing; exercising authority
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchgouvernance
- Middle Englishgovernaunce
- Englishgovernance
From Middle English governaunce, from Old French gouvernance, governance, equivalent to govern + -ance.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian управление, режим
- управление (upravlenie)the process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- режим (režim)the specific system by which a political system is ruled
- ръководство (răkovodstvo)the group of people who make up an administrative body
Catalan governança
- governançathe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Chinese Mandarin 統治 /统治, 治理
- 統治 /统治 (tǒngzhì)the process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- 治理 (zhìlǐ)the process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- 統治權 /统治权 (tǒngzhìquán)the process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- 政府 (zhèngfǔ)the process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- 統治制度 /统治制度 (tǒngzhì zhìdù)the specific system by which a political system is ruled
- 治理體系 /治理体系 (zhìlǐ tǐxì)the specific system by which a political system is ruled
- 政府部門 /政府部门 (zhèngfǔ bùmén)the group of people who make up an administrative body
- 行政機構 /行政机构 (xíngzhèng jīgòu)the group of people who make up an administrative body
- 被統治 /被统治 (bèi tǒngzhì)the state of being governed
- 問責 /问责 (wènzé)accountability for consistent, cohesive policies, processes and decision rights
- 治理 (zhìlǐ)accountability for consistent, cohesive policies, processes and decision rights
Czech správa (věcí veřejných), vládnutí
- správa (věcí veřejných)the process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- vládnutíthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Dutch bestuur
- bestuurthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Finnish hallinto, hallitseminen
- hallintothe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- hallitseminenthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- johtothe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- johtaminenthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- hallintojärjestelmäthe specific system by which a political system is ruled
- hallintothe specific system by which a political system is ruled
- hallintothe group of people who make up an administrative body
- johtothe group of people who make up an administrative body
- hallittuusthe state of being governed
- hallintoaccountability for consistent, cohesive policies, processes and decision rights
- hallinnointiaccountability for consistent, cohesive policies, processes and decision rights
French gouvernance, direction
- gouvernancethe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- directionthe group of people who make up an administrative body
German Regieren, Regierungsgewalt
- Regierenthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Regierungsgewaltthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Regierungsführungthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Führungthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Staatsführungthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Herrschenthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Herrschaftthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Regentschaftthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Lenkungthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Staatslenkungthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Amtsführungthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- Unternehmensführungthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Hungarian kormányzás, irányítás
- kormányzásthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- irányításthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- vezetésthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Indonesian pemerintahan, tata kelola
- pemerintahanthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- tata kelolathe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Italian governo, amministrazione
- governothe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- amministrazionethe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- governothe specific system by which a political system is ruled
- amministrazionethe group of people who make up an administrative body
- gestionethe state of being governed
Latin regimen
- regimenthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Malay governans
- governansthe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Māori mana whakahaere
- mana whakahaerethe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Portuguese governança
- governançathe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Romanian guvernare
- guvernarethe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Russian управле́ние, управле́ние
- управле́ние (upravlénije)the process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- управле́ние (upravlénije)the specific system by which a political system is ruled
- руково́дство (rukovódstvo)the group of people who make up an administrative body
Slovak riadenie, vedenie
- riadeniethe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- vedeniethe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
- smerovaniethe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Spanish gobernanza
- gobernanzathe process, or the power, of governing; government or administration; control and monitoring
Cite this entry
APA
governance. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/governance
MLA
“governance.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/governance. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “governance,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/governance.
Source: governance on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.