mayor
Americannoun
-
the chief executive official, usually elected, of a city, village, or town.
-
the chief magistrate of a city or borough.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of mayor
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Medieval Latin major major; replacing Middle English mer, mair, from Old French maire
Explanation
The mayor is the leader of a city. He or she heads the city government. Just as a president leads a country, a mayor leads a city. Like other politicians, mayors must run for office and win an election. The word mayor comes from the Old French maire for "head of a city or town government" but most mayors probably like the original meaning, which is "greater, superior." Alas, mayors do run cities but calling them all superior is a stretch! In the United States, the president leads the country, a governor leads a state, and a mayor leads a city. If it’s used as a title for a particular mayor, as in Mayor Smith, it’s capitalized.
Vocabulary lists containing mayor
Citizenship (Civics) - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Citizenship (Civics) - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
American Government and Civics, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Esteban "Steve" Bovo, the former mayor of majority-Cuban Hialeah in Florida has known Rubio since he was just a city councilman in West Miami.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Police have detained a 15-year-old related to the shooting, but details are still “under investigation,” the mayor said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
On the other hand, he thinks DSA member Zohran Mamdani is doing a pretty good job as mayor so far.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
Fernando Casado, mayor of Robledo de Chavela, a village at the northern end of the flames, was more cautious.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
In 2000, James Perkins Jr. was elected as Selma’s first African-American mayor.
From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman
At one time, the sitting mayors of both San Francisco and Los Angeles were clients of Reilly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Swinney also told the BBC Radio Scotland that he does not agree with Andy Burnham's views on regional mayors.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Other former mayors such as Eric Adams also appointed a majority of the board’s members.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
It was in this role that she forged a close working relationship with England's metro mayors, including Burnham, who by that point had begun his second term as mayor of Greater Manchester.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
There was something about the mayors of towns that troubled him.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
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.
