Godiva

American  

[guh-dahy-vuh] / gəˈdaɪ və /

noun

1. Lady Godiva, died 1057, wife of Leofric. According to legend, she rode naked through the streets of Coventry, England, to win relief for the people from a burdensome tax.

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Godiva British  

/ ɡəˈdaɪvə /

noun

1. Lady. ?1040–1080, wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. According to legend, she rode naked through Coventry in order to obtain remission for the townspeople from the heavy taxes imposed by her husband

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Example Sentences

The Ohio native was the first in her family to go to college, and rose from a buyer of men’s footwear at J.Crew to brand management at Godiva.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

California law enforcement had a Lady Godiva moment Tuesday afternoon — if Godiva had a white vehicle instead of a white steed and was armed with a knife and a pistol.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2023

In 2020, Godiva received a "rotten egg" award for "failing to take responsibility for the conditions with which its chocolates are made despite making huge profits off its chocolate".

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023

The magazine alleged that 23 of them, including chocolate from Hershey, Godiva and Lindt, contained "comparatively higher levels" of the metals.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2022

Down the mall at the Godiva chocolate store, Mark Fiorilli, the manager, does not even bother trying to figure out who has money.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times