# governance

Pronunciation: US say "GUV-ur-nuhns" /ˈɡʌvəɹnəns/; UK say "GUV-uh-nuhns" /ˈɡʌvənəns/

## Noun

1. The act or power of governing: the running of a government or organization.
   - Simple: The work of running a country, group, or organization.
   - _Stable governance gave the new republic time to build its institutions._
   - _Effective governance balances the demands of citizens against limited public funds._
2. The particular system through which a country or state is ruled.
   - Simple: The set of rules and ways that a country is run.
   - _The country shifted from military governance to an elected civilian administration._
   - _Federal governance divides authority between national and regional bodies._
3. Accountability for keeping policies, processes, and decision rights consistent and cohesive across an organization.
   - Simple: Being responsible for keeping an organization's rules, processes, and decisions clear and consistent.
   - _The firm overhauled its data governance after the breach exposed unclear decision rights._
   - _Clear governance assigns each policy an owner accountable for its outcomes._
4. The body of people who make up an administrative or ruling group.
   - Simple: The group of people who run an organization or area.
   - _The university's governance comprises the board, the senate, and several standing committees._
   - _A decision of this scale requires the full governance to convene._
5. The condition or fact of being governed.
   - Simple: The condition of being under a government's control or rule.
   - _Decades without effective governance left the territory in lasting disorder._
   - _The colony remained under foreign governance for nearly a century before independence._

## Origin

From Middle English "governaunce", from Old French "gouvernance", equivalent to "govern" plus the suffix "-ance".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/governance (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).