governor-general-in-council \| ̷ ̷( ̷ ̷) ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷( ̷ ̷) ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷\noun (pluralgovernors-general-in-councilorgovernor-generals-in-council) : the governor-general in a member nation of the British Commonwealth acting with the advice and consent of the nation's Privy Council usually as a formal means of giving legal effect to cabinet decisions < in South Africa … all provincial ordinances must be assented to by the governor-general-in-council — Alexander Brady >