president

noun

pres·​i·​dent ˈpre-zə-dənt How to pronounce president (audio)
ˈprez-dənt,
ˈpre-zə-ˌdent,
 in rapid speech  ˈpre-zᵊnt
1
: an official chosen to preside over a meeting or assembly
2
: an appointed governor of a subordinate political unit
3
: the chief officer of an organization (such as a corporation or institution) usually entrusted with the direction and administration of its policies
4
: the presiding officer of a governmental body
5
a
: an elected official serving as both chief of state and chief political executive in a republic having a presidential government
b
: an elected official having the position of chief of state but usually only minimal political powers in a republic having a parliamentary government
presidentship
ˈpre-zə-dənt-ˌship How to pronounce president (audio)
ˈprez-dənt-
ˈpre-zə-ˌdent-
noun

Examples of president in a Sentence

The President will hold a news conference tomorrow. the president of the international conference on genocide
Recent Examples on the Web Renee Mahaffey Harris – Mahaffey Harris is president and CEO of The Health Gap, an organization that works towards ending racial and ethnic health disparities across Cincinnati. Annasofia Scheve, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2023 Diesel founded the production company One Race Films in 1995, and Samantha has been its president since September 2001. Adam England, Peoplemag, 2 Sep. 2023 Youngkin hasn’t ruled out or in a run but has stoked 2024 speculation by refusing to commit to completing his term, releasing a campaign launch-style video linking himself to former president Ronald Reagan and courting out-of-state megadonors with no ties to Virginia. Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 2 Sep. 2023 And the presidents are the ones who are driving this. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2023 Walsh said the administration’s electric vehicle push isn’t a threat to auto workers and the president deserves their votes. Jim Puzzanghera, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2023 The political disconnect between both sides is a break from the recent past, since Biden and DeSantis met when the president toured Florida after Hurricane Ian hit the state last year, and following the Surfside condo collapse in Miami Beach in summer 2021. Will Weissert, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Sep. 2023 After the Democratic president elevated the issue in his State of the Union speech, advocates were initially elated, expecting the most significant change for residents since the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987. Matt Sedensky The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023 The 46-year-old rapper launched his bid for president in 2020 amid a tumultuous period in his personal life with then-wife Kim, 42, and various episodes of erratic behavior. Alexis Jones, Peoplemag, 19 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'president.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin praesident-, praesidens, from present participle of praesidēre

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of president was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near president

Cite this Entry

“President.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/president. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

president

noun
pres·​i·​dent ˈprez-əd-ənt How to pronounce president (audio)
ˈprez-dənt,
ˈprez-ə-ˌdent
1
: a person who presides over a meeting
2
: the chief officer of an organization
a bank president
college president
president of our club
3
: the chief executive officer or the chief of state in a republic
presidential adjective

Legal Definition

president

noun
pres·​i·​dent ˈpre-zə-dənt, -ˌdent How to pronounce president (audio)
often capitalized
1
: an official chosen to preside over a meeting or assembly
2
: an appointed governor of a subordinate political unit
3
: the chief officer of an organization (as a corporation or institution) usually entrusted with the direction and administration of its policies
4
: the presiding officer of a governmental body
the Vice President of the United States shall be President of the SenateU.S. Constitution art. I
5
a
: an elected official serving as both chief of state and chief political executive in a republic having a presidential government
b
: an elected official having the position of chief of state but usually only minimal political powers in a republic having a parliamentary government
presidential adjective
presidentially adverb
presidentship noun

More from Merriam-Webster on president

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