mayor

[mey-er, mair]

noun

1. the chief executive official, usually elected, of a city, village, or town.

2. the chief magistrate of a city or borough.

mayor

/ mɛə /

noun

1. Scottish equivalent: provost. the chairman and civic head of a municipal corporation in many countries

Other Word Forms

• mayoral adjective
• mayorship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mayor¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Medieval Latin major major; replacing Middle English mer, mair, from Old French maire

Word History and Origins

Origin of mayor¹

C13: from Old French maire, from Latin maior greater. See _major

Example Sentences

Even before his first term was completed, Mahan launched an upstart bid for mayor.

From Los Angeles Times

The 35-year-old is running for mayor of Minneapolis, one half of the Twin Cities he’s called home for 10 years.

From Salon

Sir Keir Starmer might not quite have 100 battles, but he's got a fair few on his hands: with his party, with the bond markets, with the mayor of Greater Manchester.

From BBC

Summer in Palm Springs was okay this year, said its mayor, Ron deHarte, but only because domestic tourists offset the sharp decline in Canadians.

From Los Angeles Times

Swop a former mayor of London and subsequent prime minister for the current mayor of Greater Manchester and aspiring prime minister Andy Burnham, and you have a sense of the vibe here.

From BBC

Related Words

• authority 
• bureaucrat 
• chief 
• commander 
• controller 
• custodian 
• dean 
• director 
• executive 
• head 
• inspector 
• judge 
• leader 
• manager 
• minister 
• officer 
• official 
• organizer 
• superintendent 
• supervisor