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

Oh, and Kate's husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) may have shocked POTUS with news so bad that the politician dropped dead on the video call. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

And for several seemingly interminable minutes, POTUS is absent, his video screen in the Situation Room a blank square. —Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 3 Sep. 2025

The first lady, meanwhile, is on a safari in Africa and hard to pin down, and a moment where POTUS’ phone call with her drops out as 18 minutes turn into four and even fewer is one of an arsenal of devastating hammers Bigelow drops on you. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025

Without either damning or lauding him, the script drops wry hints that POTUS’ relaxed charm is as much a part of the package as his experience and authority. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025

Other than briefly floating the idea of tariffs on films and series shot abroad (which went over like a lead balloon in Hollywood), POTUS has not engaged further on the topic thus far. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025

All this is to say, give credit to the POTUS for at least pushing the ball down the field. —Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025

But in February, just four weeks after his second inauguration, POTUS purged the historically bipartisan Kennedy Center board of any Democratic members. —Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 13 Aug. 2025

Earlier this week, attorney Nicole Westmoreland, another member of Combs’ legal team, claimed that POTUS had been contacted regarding Combs’ conviction. —Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for POTUS

• glottis
• epiglottis
• serratus