Synonyms

officeholder

American

[aw-fis-hohl-der, of-is-] / ˈɔ fɪsˌhoʊl dər, ˈɒf ɪs- /

noun

a person filling a governmental position; public official.

Other Word Forms

nonofficeholder noun

Etymology

Origin of officeholder

First recorded in 1850–55; office + holder

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.

Historian Gordon Wood wrote that the American Revolution “reconstituted what Americans meant by public or state power and brought about an entirely new kind of popular politics and a new kind of democratic officeholder.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Previous officeholders had gone on diplomatic missions, run task forces or even served as the president’s attack dog.

From The Wall Street Journal

The officeholder also leads the more than 6,000 members of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kirk’s death reflects a sizable increase in threats against officeholders and politicians at the local and federal level.

From Salon

Civil service roles in the U.S. were originally designed to serve the Constitution and the public, not individual officeholders.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023