mayor

noun

may·​or ˈmā-ər  ˈmer 

especially before names (ˌ)mer

: an official elected or appointed to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough

mayoral

ˈmā-ə-rəl 

ˈmer-əl;

  ˌmā-ˈȯr-əl 

adjective

Examples of mayor in a Sentence

the mayor of New York

Recent Examples on the Web

The City Council, which is considering censuring the mayor, asked for assistance because the city’s Human Resources director wasn’t available at the time, according to Mayor Pro Tem Tara Graves. — Elijah Megginson, AJC.com, 25 July 2026

Olmeda of the Mexican state of Baja California, and numerous mayors. — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

When reflecting on his time as mayor, Baird highlights his contributions to housing and development growth in Lee’s Summit. — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026

Municipal pay runs about 35% below federal and 17% below state levels, and 50% to 75% of many operating budgets is fixed before a mayor can make a single new choice. — William Cogswell, Time, 24 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maire, from Anglo-French, from Latin major greater — more at major

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mayor

• gayer
• grayer
• greyer
• layer
• nayar
• payer
• payor
• peyer
• player
• preyer
• sayer
• slayer

Kids Definition

mayor

noun

may·​or ˈmā-ər  ˈme(-)ər 

: an official elected to act as head of a city or borough

mayoral

ˈmā-ə-rəl  ˈme- ə- 

adjective

Legal Definition

mayor

noun

may·​or ˈmā-ər, ˈmer 

: an official elected or appointed to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough