POTUS

abbreviation or noun

ˈpō-təs 

variants or less commonly Potus

: the president of the United States

—often used like a nickname

The Bushes held their first state dinner. POTUS served buffalo meat, wore cowboy boots and welcomed Clint Eastwood.

—Newsweek

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some other acronyms like POTUS?

The oldest -OTUS ("of the United States") acronym is SCOTUS ("Supreme Court of the United States"), in use since the 1870s. POTUS ("President of the United States") is the second oldest, coming some twenty years after SCOTUS. FLOTUS ("First Lady of the United States") is another, thought to have originated in the 1980s. Less common than these, but still occasionally found, is VPOTUS ("Vice President of the United States").

Is POTUS always capitalized?

The most common form of the word is POTUS, although it is also found as Potus. Less common, and formerly used more frequently in the early 20th century, is potus.

What is the origin of the word POTUS?

POTUS is an acronym created by taking the first letter of each word in "President of the United States." According to our earliest records of its use, it came into being in the 1890s as an abbreviation used by telegraph operators. POTUS was likely based on the slightly older SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States), which had been used by telegraph operators since the 1870s.

Examples of POTUS in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not just the threat-of-extinction stuff, which includes Bassett’s POTUS debating which American city to blow up as a preemptive gesture, but by its own irritating God’s-eye omniscience that rarely allows the suspense to spool out in the present. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025

In the sketch ‘The White POTUS‘, the cast used a parody of the recent Thailand-set Season 3 to make a few swipes at the Trumps, while also poking fun at Chelsea with Sherman in a pair of buck teeth. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 May 2025

But none of it will matter because this is obviously unconstitutional, the POTUS can't set prices by executive fiat. —Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

Studios Scrambling To Find Out What POTUS Wants Other decisions are TBA. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 May 2025

An Australian ex-special forces soldier (Antony Starr) leads a terrorist takeover of the event to destabilize the world's economy, but POTUS – who's also an Army veteran – singlehandedly takes on the bad guys to save family members and world leaders alike. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025

Although several of the heads of state wore black suits, POTUS chose a blue one. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 26 Apr. 2025

This time around, the official POTUS Instagram celebrated a visit by actor Vince Vaughn, spoofing the poster from 2005’s Wedding Crashers for the occasion. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 19 Apr. 2025

On Friday, April 18, the official POTUS and White House Instagram accounts shared a joint post featuring a snapshot of the vocally Libertarian actor, 55, and the president, 78, in the Oval Office together. —Bailey Richards, People.com, 19 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for POTUS

• glottis
• epiglottis
• serratus