mayor

noun

may·​or ˈmā-ər How to pronounce mayor (audio) ˈmer How to pronounce mayor (audio)
 especially before names  (ˌ)mer
: an official elected or appointed to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough
mayoral adjective

Examples of mayor in a Sentence

the mayor of New York
Recent Examples on the Web On Monday, both the mayor and the police department of a New Jersey township were accused of abuse of power in unrelated incidents in which the city's top official was criminally charged and the state attorney general recommended ousting the police chief and a sergeant. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023 The announcement from Adams came after the mayor’s budget director said that the belt-tightening was necessary due to a $7 billion budget gap caused in part by the need to shelter asylum seekers and a reduction in federal COVID-19 relief funds. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023 Family calls for justice after man struck and killed by police car, buried without notice During the mayor's State of the City address, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade -- who is no relation to Dexter Wade -- offered his condolences to Wade's family. Deena Zaru, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2023 Carolyn Webb de Macias is the mayor’s new chief of staff. Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Later at the Hob, Snow, Sejanus and a District 12 citizen named Spruce get into an altercation with Lucy Gray’s ex-boyfriend, Billy Taupe, and his new girlfriend, Mayfair Lipp, who is the mayor’s daughter. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 17 Nov. 2023 The mayor’s plan likely will return to the council in some form. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023 In 1995, a federal judge in Ohio ruled that a mayor could be considered biased on the bench if just 10% of the town’s revenue came from its mayor’s court. Samantha Sunne, ProPublica, 16 Nov. 2023 The mayor did not reveal that he had been approached by FBI agents who confiscated his electronic devices two days earlier. Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mayor.' 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 maire, from Anglo-French, from Latin major greater — more at major

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near mayor

Cite this Entry

“Mayor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mayor. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

mayor

noun
: an official elected to act as head of a city or borough
mayoral adjective

Legal Definition

mayor

noun
may·​or ˈmā-ər, ˈmer How to pronounce mayor (audio)
: an official elected or appointed to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough

More from Merriam-Webster on mayor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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