presidency

noun

pres·​i·​den·​cy ˈpre-zə-dən(t)-sē How to pronounce presidency (audio)
ˈprez-dən(t)-,
 also  ˈpre-zə-ˌden(t)-sē
plural presidencies
1
a
: the office of president
b(1)
: the office of president of the U.S.
(2)
: the American governmental institution comprising the office of president and various associated administrative and policymaking agencies
2
: the term during which a president holds office
3
: the action or function of one that presides : superintendence
4
: a Mormon executive council of the church or a stake consisting of a president and two counselors

Examples of presidency in a Sentence

responsibility for the presidency of a major television network
Recent Examples on the Web Opposition candidate Xiomara Castro — Zelaya’s wife — won the presidency in 2021. Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Only now has Washington appeared to accede to demands that Henry step aside—at a moment when prospects could hardly be less promising for a respectable, responsible democrat to ascend into the Haitian presidency, and when many armed criminals are at the ready. Amy Wilentz, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2024 The American President actor Douglas shared some wisdom about approaching the presidency and leadership with love. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 In case of a catastrophic event targeting the chamber, one cabinet member is selected by the White House to go to a secure location and sit out the speech and be ready to take over the presidency in case of such a disaster. Caroline Linton, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 This is what autocracy looks like: jailed for speaking out There are also those who believe fears over a Trump 2.0 presidency are overblown. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 One of the primary arguments Mr. Trump’s lawyers made was that Section 3 does not mention the presidency, and so does not apply to that office, or Mr. Trump. Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Mar. 2024 But the Colorado Supreme Court’s majority reversed the part of the trial judge’s decision that said Section 3 did not apply to the president or the presidency. Adam Liptak, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Unlike so many volumes written since 2016, this is not a tell-all about Donald Trump’s presidency or a mea culpa from a staffer from his administration. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'presidency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of presidency was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near presidency

Cite this Entry

“Presidency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/presidency. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

presidency

noun
pres·​i·​den·​cy ˈprez-əd-ən-sē How to pronounce presidency (audio)
ˈprez-dən-;
ˈprez-ə-ˌden(t)-sē
plural presidencies
1
: the office of president
2
: the term during which a president holds office

Legal Definition

presidency

noun
pres·​i·​den·​cy ˈpre-zə-dən-sē, -ˌden- How to pronounce presidency (audio)
plural presidencies
1
a
: the office of president
b
: the office of president of the U.S.
also : the American governmental institution comprising the office of president and various associated administrative and policy-making agencies
2
: the term during which a president holds office
3
: the action or function of one that presides

More from Merriam-Webster on presidency

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