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

According to a list of demands posted at the front doors of the mayor’s office, the activists were demanding clarification of the city’s policies regarding police interaction with immigration authorities. —Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026

In 2012, Leon ran for Antioch mayor, garnering 1,740 votes, and fishing last in a four-man race where Wade Harper was elected. —Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026

The mayor said the incident remains under active investigation and the city is not speculating on the circumstances surrounding the crash. —Richard Ramos, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026

The mayors of Lewiston and Portland, who said the operation was unnecessary, reported a surge of federal agents and asked residents to remain calm. —Christopher Cann, USA Today, 23 Jan. 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