President Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms president American [prez-i-duhnt] / ˈprɛz ɪ dənt /

noun

1. the highest executive officer of a modern republic, as the chief executive of the United States.

   sworn in as the 56th president of Mexico.

2. an officer appointed or elected to preside over an organized body of persons.

3. the chief officer of a college, university, society, corporation, etc.

4. a person who presides.

president British / ˈprɛzɪdənt, ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl /

noun

1. (often capital) the chief executive or head of state of a republic, esp of the US

2. (in the US) the chief executive officer of a company, corporation, etc

3. a person who presides over an assembly, meeting, etc

4. the chief executive officer of certain establishments of higher education

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• presidential adjective
• presidentially adverb
• presidentship noun

Etymology

Origin of president

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin praesident- (stem of praesidēns ), noun use of present participle of praesidēre “to preside over, sit in front of”; preside, -ent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Rena Wong, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 in Minnesota, said some union members have expressed alarm after workers were seized in parking lots where they work.

From BBC

As a result, few were surprised that Walden was named president, a position no one has held at Disney in 20 years, with a recommended retention bonus worth $5.3 million.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wasserman is president of the board, which is made up of dozens of high-profile leaders in sports, business, labor and other fields.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is a priority for the entire nation,” Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, said at a news conference near the state Capitol.

From Los Angeles Times

“You’re going to have to actually have a portfolio of work that you’ve produced utilizing AI,” says Scott Pulsipher, president of Western Governors University, which offers AI certificate courses that include capstone projects.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.