officeholder

noun

of·​fice·​hold·​er ˈä-fəs-ˌhōl-dər 

ˈȯ-

: one holding a public office

Synonyms of officeholder

• official
• officer
• administrator

Examples of officeholder in a Sentence

the last officeholder was extremely conscientious about not using public funds for his personal gain

Recent Examples on the Web

The previous officeholder, a Democrat, carried the seat by 6 percentage points in 2022. — ABC News, 21 July 2026

Becerra, a longtime Democratic officeholder, received support from 61% of likely voters, compared with 36% for Hilton, a populist conservative who once advised a British prime minister. — Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

The same energy that helped elect Zohran Mamdani has fueled a string of insurgent victories, knocking off longtime officeholders and helping progress challengers break through in New York and Colorado. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Then there are swearing in speeches for interim officeholders, like today’s from Rob Harrington. — Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for officeholder

• policyholder
• beholder
• bondholder
• cardholder
• freeholder
• householder
• landholder
• leaseholder
• lienholder
• placeholder
• shareholder
• slaveholder

Kids Definition

officeholder

noun

of·​fice·​hold·​er -ˌhōl-dər 

: a person holding a public office