president

noun

pres·​i·​dent ˈpre-zə-dənt 

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 

ˈprez-dənt-

ˈpre-zə-ˌdent-

noun

Synonyms

• chair
• chairman
• chairperson
• moderator
• presider
• prolocutor
• speaker

Example Sentences

The President will hold a news conference tomorrow.

the president of the international conference on genocide

Recent Examples on the Web

Van Turner, the president of the Memphis NAACP said of the initial news release. —Justine Mcdaniel, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Jan. 2023

Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, pushed back against the conclusion that policing must change. —Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer And Adrian Sainz, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Jan. 2023

Blinken is also scheduled to meet with Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, in Ramallah in the West Bank. —Missy Ryan, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2023

Michael Cole, president of Bank of Ann Arbor’s Technology Industry Group. —Chanel Stitt, Detroit Free Press, 28 Jan. 2023

Rashad Robinson, the president of Color of Change, a civil rights group, said Mr. Trump’s outsize following could partly explain why Meta made its decision. —Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2023

Many passengers don't fully understand the terms of these vouchers, according to John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group, a division of Internova. —Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2023

The fast payment trend is already picking up speed, according to Dan Skilken, president of TripInsurance.com. —Christopher Elliott, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2023

He was joined by Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell, all four members of the City Council and two longtime Black community leaders, former state Sen. Margaret Carter and James Posey, president of the NAACP of Portland. —oregonlive, 27 Jan. 2023

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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

Phrases Containing president

• vice president
• president-elect
• co-president

• vice president
• president-elect
• co-president

Kids Definition

president

noun

pres·​i·​dent ˈprez-əd-ənt 

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

ˌprez(-ə)-ˈden-chəl 

adjective

Legal Definition

president

noun

pres·​i·​dent ˈpre-zə-dənt, -ˌdent 

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 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

presidential

ˌpre-zə-ˈden-chəl 

adjective

presidentially adverb

presidentship noun