mayor
Americannoun
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the chief executive official, usually elected, of a city, village, or town.
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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
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Citizenship (Civics) - Introductory
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American Government and Civics, List 2
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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:
It is a very important role - only the prime minister and the mayor of London have more power in English politics.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Although Burnham's legacy as Greater Manchester mayor is not without criticism there are several aspects of his inheritance that seem untouchable.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"I have not heard any negative opinions ... everyone is rather satisfied," Renata Golebiewska, mayor of Kikol, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
"We're very vigilant," Bordeaux mayor Thomas Cazenave said, adding that there were no current plans to move the city's 270,000 residents.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Sure. I love Birdie’s. That’s so cool you know Babs. From what I can tell, she’s more like the mayor of Driftaway Beach than the actual mayor.”
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
The government said it would be working with regional mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers to deliver its plans nationally.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The former mayor of Greater Manchester vowed to give mayors greater control over social housing, welfare and education.
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
By comparison, the combined compensation of the mayors of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego is about $1.2 million, including retirement and health benefits, according to the data.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
Lina left the book and examined the pictures of the mayors.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
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.
