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

In the aftermath of Pretti’s death, which has prompted even some Republican officeholders to call for an investigation, state officials have accused the federal government of blocking access to the scene of the shooting. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

The Fair Political Practices Commission, the state’s political watchdog, has about 100 staff members overseeing thousands of candidates and officeholders and often relies on complaints to open investigations. —Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 18 Jan. 2026

Statewide officeholders and lawmakers are required to file campaign finance reports every six months. —Philip Jankowski, Dallas Morning News, 15 Jan. 2026

Both blamed a long-standing Senate practice that made their confirmations to become permanent officeholders unlikely. —Jared Gans, The Hill, 15 Dec. 2025

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