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 And the resignation of Harvard’s first Black president amid allegations of plagiarism and antisemitism on campus has been claimed as a victory by critics intent on dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in academia and the private sector. Emma Kumer, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 But Poor Things’ box office victory is no small matter, and is boost for Searchlight as David Greenbaum, the specialty studio’s president, takes over Sean Bailey’s old job running Disney’s live-action studio. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024 Now, the 79-year old serves as the chairman, president, and CEO of Air Products, an energy company founded in 1940 that engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world’s largest industrial gas projects. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 Trump’s opposition to a TikTok ban would be a reversal of policy for the former president, who signed an executive order in the summer of 2020 that would have forced TikTok’s parent company in China, ByteDance, to completely divest of the social media site or face a ban on U.S. soil. Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 The charge served a double purpose for Biden — reminding voters of Trump’s longstanding, never explained deference to an American adversary and countering Republican accusations of weakness by leveling the same charge against the former president. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Jeff Peterson’s title Clint asks on X: Why is Jeff Peterson the VP of ops instead of the president? Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 8 Mar. 2024 The presidents and athletic directors were under intense pressure, especially once the process reached the spring of 2023, to secure a deal. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 This bill would instead create clear, all-new authorities for the president to do exactly that. Brian Fung, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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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