vice president

American  

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

Or vice-president

noun

vice presidents plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vice presidents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vice president

First recorded in 1565–75

Example Sentences

The result, says Naima Keith, LACMA’s senior vice president of education, public programs and regional partnerships, will be more family-friendly than its New York predecessors —but equally eclectic.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

Karthik Iyer, a group vice president and head of merchandising transformation and AI at Albertsons, said the grocery store operator is using the tech to help answer questions based on company data.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Instead, the vice president claims “Erika told Usha between sobs that she regretted having only two kids with Charlie,” and that’s what changed his wife’s mind.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

It’s too soon to know if the SpaceX IPO will impact the broader housing market, said Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist and vice president of research.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 13, 2026

Might this not create “a dangerous crisis in public affairs” by placing the president and vice president “in opposite boxes”? Abigail thought such speculations were too hypothetical to worry about.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis