preside

verb

pre·side | \ pri-ˈzīd

presided; presiding

Definition of preside

intransitive verb

1 : to exercise guidance, direction, or control

2a : to occupy the place of authority : act as president, chairman, or moderator

b : to occupy a position similar to that of a president or chairman

3 : to occupy a position of featured instrumental performer —usually used with at presided at the organ

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Examples of preside in a Sentence

Court is now in session, Justice Raul Fernandez presiding.

Recent Examples on the Web

The event, held annually in Monaco since 1954, and now presided over by Prince Albert, raises funds for artist scholarships and the Princess Grace Foundation. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "Princess Caroline Wore Her Mother Grace Kelly's Pearls for the First Time Since Her Death," 1 Apr. 2019 The property is owned by a holding company presided over by James Wang, mortgage records show. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "Beverly Hills ‘Upside Down’ House Comes to Market for $32 Million," 27 Mar. 2019 Gentry also emphasized that he was sentenced by an all-white jury and his trial was presided over by a white judge. — Paige Cornwell, The Seattle Times, "List of inmates whose sentences are changed from death row to life in prison," 12 Oct. 2018 His handsome red brick church, now named Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, lies a block from the Alabama State Capitol presided over by a statue of Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president. — New York Times, "36 Hours in Montgomery, Ala.," 3 May 2018 Many of the governors Cox cites are presiding over low unemployment rates, and joblessness has fallen in all their states but one since the governors assumed office. — Joe Garofoli, SFChronicle.com, "John Cox, California governor candidate, says business background a big boost," 9 July 2018 Across from them, Diddy and girlfriend Cassie Ventura presided over a banquette alongside Mary J. Blige, his sons, and assorted others. — Josh Duboff, Vanities, "Rihanna’s Met Ball After-Party Draws Emma Stone, the Hadids, and an Impromptu Jaden Smith Performance," 8 May 2018 Black women preside as mayors of Louisiana’s three largest cities: New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport. — Andre Perry, The Root, "A Case for Educational Reparations for Formerly Incarcerated People," 6 Apr. 2018 Harris agreed and chose Democratic State Central Committee member Nathan Karnes to preside over the election for the chairman even though parliamentarian Leslie Mara said the bylaws allowed Harris to chair the meeting. — Steven Goode, Courant Community, "Don Harris Re-elected To Democratic Town Committee Post," 30 Mar. 2018

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