mayor
Americannoun
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mayors
plural
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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:
The local town hall was opened to provide shelter and coordinate with emergency services, the local mayor said.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
But that’s not what heavyweights who have long aspired to become mayor — like billionaire developer Rick Caruso, L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
"I'm deeply honored to be your next mayor," said Raman, 45, in a statement on social media.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
“We have 25 unions,” the mayor said in an interview last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
But over the decade following the riot, gangs and organized crime continued to operate unchecked by the mayor, angering enough citizens that Thompson was voted out in 1931, never to hold office again.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
“I hope I can change the relationship with local government,” Becerra said, adding that he wants his administration to work closely with mayors and county supervisors around the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Dave Bing and Kevin Johnson became the Democratic mayors of Detroit and Sacramento, respectively.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
From 2028, strategic authorities led by mayors will also be given the power to introduce an Overnight Visitor Levy, often dubbed a "tourist tax".
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Labour mayors in England vow to cap tourist tax at 5%
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
Portraits of all the mayors of the city since the beginning of time hung on the walls, staring solemnly from behind pieces of old window glass.
From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
