mayoral
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of mayoral
Explanation
Anything mayoral has to do with the official leader of a city or town, or with the office itself. In a mayoral election, candidates are vying to become the highest-ranking city official. Mayoral is from mayor, which derives from the Old French maire, "head of a city or town government," and a Latin root meaning "great." This adjective is used to talk about things related to the mayor, from the mayoral residence and mayoral duties to mayoral election campaigns and speeches. If you have mayoral ambitions, that means you dream of heading up your town's government one day. The word mayoral can also be used as a noun when referring to any overseer or foreman, especially of a ranch or an estate in Spain or Mexico in the 1800s.
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.
Caruso, who lost the 2022 mayoral race to Bass, reopened the shopping center last month after extensive renovations following the fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
In this year’s mayoral primary, Raman raised less money than Bass and Pratt and flopped during their one debate against each other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
Bradley Tusk, a venture capitalist and campaign manager for Bloomberg’s third-term mayoral run, said he admired Mastro’s moxie, even though the lawyer had several legal tussles with his former boss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
A judge ruled against his clients in one of two lawsuits he brought challenging Mamdani’s disbanding of a commission appointed by his mayoral predecessor to recommend changes to the city’s charter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
His party was pressuring him for the mayoral race.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
