Misgovernors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People in positions of authority who run a state, city or organization poorly, often through incompetence or dishonesty
2. Rulers or administrators whose management of public affairs is inept, unjust or corrupt, causing harm to those they oversee
3. Those who hold power over others and mishandle their duties, leading to poor outcomes for the governed population

Etymology: "Misgovernors" is simply the plural of "misgovernor," a noun for someone who governs badly or wrongly. The plural follows the regular English pattern of adding an "s" to the singular form. The singular itself is built from the prefix "mis-," meaning wrongly or badly, attached to "governor," which comes into English from Old French "gouverneur" and ultimately from Latin "gubernator," meaning steersman or pilot. The word's origin is therefore nautical, with the idea of steering a ship at its root.

Synonyms: misruler