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

The order prescribed modifications to Secret Service procedures and afforded future presidents the ability to be up close and personal with constituents, as JFK was, while also protecting the POTUS and the first family and anticipating possible threats. —Gabriele Regalbuto, Fox News, 14 July 2024

It will be followed by another high-profile TV interview: POTUS is scheduled to sit down with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt for a primetime special on Monday, July 15 (NBC, 9/8c). —Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 11 July 2024

Biden and Harris took oath of office as the next POTUS and VPOTUS on Inauguration Day on Jaunuary 20, 2021. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 5 July 2024

Warren Beatty and Peter Fonda were apparently under consideration for the part, but POTUS himself chose Robertson after watching his audition. —Cristina Everett, EW.com, 11 June 2024

Ted has a highly original take: Trump would be mainly an absentee POTUS this time around. —Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 1 July 2024

Those in attendance were reported to be Donald Trump’s son Donald Junior and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, a close confidante of the former POTUS. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 June 2024

Broadway vets Julianne Hough (POTUS) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Freestyle Love Supreme) will present, too. —Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 13 June 2024

Kresge Foundation President and CEO Rip Rapson, in a fireside chat-style armchair conversation with the former POTUS, asked why Obama chose to throw his weight behind Detroit at a time when no one else would. —Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 12 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above