# Gov

/ˈɡəv/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gov
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. government

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a short, informal way to write or say 'government'.

For teachers: a clipping of 'government', frequently used in informal digital communication or headlines.

- The new gov website makes it easier to apply for a passport.
- The department migrated all its services to the official gov portal to streamline public access to records.

### 3. governor

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

a short way of saying 'governor', the leader of a state or region.

For teachers: a clipping of 'governor', used informally in political contexts or as a title.

- The gov signed the new law late last night.
- Local activists gathered outside the office, hoping to catch the gov before the press conference began.

## Examples

- Thanks for the help, gov.
- The taxi driver turned around and asked, 'Where to, gov?' before pulling away from the curb.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.