president

noun pres·i·dent \ ˈpre-zə-dənt , ˈprez-dənt , ˈpre-zə-ˌdent , in rapid speech ˈpre-zᵊnt \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of president

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

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presidential

play \ˌpre-zə-ˈden(t)-shəl, ˌprez-ˈden(t)-\ adjective

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presidentially

play \ˌpre-zə-ˈden(t)-sh(ə-)lē, ˌprez-ˈden(t)-\ adverb

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presidentship

play \ˈpre-zə-dənt-ˌship, ˈprez-dənt-, ˈpre-zə-ˌdent-\ noun

See president defined for English-language learners

See president defined for kids

Examples of president in a Sentence

The President will hold a news conference tomorrow.
the president of the international conference on genocide

Recent Examples of president from the Web

For more information, contact group president Victor Luna at 860-983-5629.

— rebecca lurye, Courant Community, "First Colt Park Cleanup Postponed For Poor Weather," 7 Apr. 2018
From all over: Humboldt team president Kevin Garinger said the Broncos roster includes players from Edmonton, Slave Lake and Airdrie in Alberta and from Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team: 5 things to know," 7 Apr. 2018
The law being challenged removed a measure in the constitution that prevented anyone older than 75 from being president.

— emmanuel akinwotu, BostonGlobe.com, "Nigeria’s president rebuffs calls to step aside," 10 Apr. 2018
He has also been mentioned as a possible candidate for St. Tammany Parish president.

— kim chatelain, NOLA.com, "Donald Villere seeks change in Mandeville term limit law," 9 Apr. 2018
Boeing’s San Antonio facility also does work on the KC-135 air refueler and received a contract for maintenance of the two Boeing 747s that are used as Air Force One, the president’s long-range air transport.

— rye druzin, San Antonio Express-News, "Fighter jet work coming to Boeing facility in San Antonio," 9 Apr. 2018
In the living room of a modest apartment, Laurio – feeling under the weather, and in pajamas – fumes at the president’s crusade against the news outlets that have criticized his actions.

— jessica mendoza, The Christian Science Monitor, "In the Philippines, divided politics feed – and feed on – a divided web," 9 Apr. 2018
In the past two decades, the president’s party has averaged a loss of two U.S. Senate seats in each midterm.

— anthony man, Sun-Sentinel.com, "7 questions about the epic Rick Scott-Bill Nelson battle for U.S. Senate," 9 Apr. 2018
Their leaders met Iran’s president in Ankara on April 4th to discuss ways to end the conflict.

— The Economist, "America vows to respond to a suspected chemical attack in Syria," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'president.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of president

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

president Synonyms

Synonyms

chair, chairman, chairperson, moderator, presider, speaker;

Related Words

chairwoman;

cochair, cochairman, cochairperson, cochairwoman, copresident;

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

PRESIDENT Defined for English Language Learners

president

noun

Definition of president for English Language Learners

: the head of the government in some countries
: someone who has the highest position in an organization or business

PRESIDENT Defined for Kids

president

noun pres·i·dent \ ˈpre-zə-dənt \

Definition of president for Students

1 : the head of the government and chief executive officer of a modern republic

2 : the chief officer of a company, organization, or society

a bank president

a college president

Law Dictionary

president

noun, often capitalized pres·i·dent \ ˈpre-zə-dənt, -ˌdent \

legal Definition of president

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 Senate
—U.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

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