mayoral
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of mayoral
Explanation
Anything mayoral has to do with the official leader of a city or town, or with the office itself. In a mayoral election, candidates are vying to become the highest-ranking city official. Mayoral is from mayor, which derives from the Old French maire, "head of a city or town government," and a Latin root meaning "great." This adjective is used to talk about things related to the mayor, from the mayoral residence and mayoral duties to mayoral election campaigns and speeches. If you have mayoral ambitions, that means you dream of heading up your town's government one day. The word mayoral can also be used as a noun when referring to any overseer or foreman, especially of a ranch or an estate in Spain or Mexico in the 1800s.
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.
At least, said Manzanares, a retired lawyer, L.A. found out what it takes to get a response from the two mayoral candidates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Also on hand were both Los Angeles mayoral candidates: incumbent Bass and challenger Nithya Raman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
On Saturday, Sir James announced he was quitting the Tory front bench as shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government to run for City Hall at the next mayoral election in 2028.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
A mayoral spokesman said the Mamdani administration filed the lawsuit “to ensure that negotiations between the city and its workforce remain at the bargaining table rather than being decided through political intervention.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
I outlined my speech, she listened, nodded, and rubbed her chin in true mayoral style.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
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.
