vice president

American  

[vahys prez-i-duhnt] / ˈvaɪs ˈprɛz ɪ dənt /

Or vice-president

noun

1. an officer next in rank to a president who serves as president in the president's absence.

2. an officer next in rank to a president who serves as a deputy to the president or oversees a special division or function.

3. U.S. Government. the officer of this rank who is elected at the same time as the president and who succeeds to the presidency upon the resignation, removal, death, or disability of the president.

   Lincoln's first vice president was Hannibal Hamlin.

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vice president British  

noun

1. Abbreviation: VP.   V. Pres.  an officer ranking immediately below a president and serving as his deputy. A vice president takes the president's place during his absence or incapacity, after his death, and in certain other circumstances

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Usage

Why is the term vice president in the news? On August 11, 2020, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced he selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the 2020 presidential election.

Other Word Forms

• vice presidency noun
• vice presidential adjective
• vice-presidency noun
• vice-presidential adjective

Etymology

Origin of vice president

First recorded in 1565–75

Example Sentences

“It’s a difficult balancing act with the technologists and immigration hard-liners within the president’s coalition,” said Neil Suri, a vice president at research and advisory firm Capstone who focuses on technology policy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Beiermeister served as the vice president leading OpenAI’s product policy team, which develops rules for how people can use the company’s products and helps design the enforcement mechanisms for those policies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rodriguez, who had served as Maduro's vice president before taking his place, has been working with the United States, including granting access to Venezuela's vast oil reserves, and freeing political detainees.

From Barron's

His date was juggling dance practice with a full class schedule, while Berger was conducting research, taking four challenging courses and serving as vice president of his fraternity.

From The Wall Street Journal

The former National Assembly vice president had walked out of jail Sunday as part of a slow-moving wave of releases of political prisoners.

From Barron's