preside
Americanverb (used without object)
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to occupy the place of authority or control, as in an assembly or meeting; act as president or chairperson.
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to exercise management or control (usually followed byover ).
The lawyer presided over the estate.
verb
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to sit in or hold a position of authority, as over a meeting
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to exercise authority; control
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to occupy a position as an instrumentalist
he presided at the organ
Other Word Forms
- presider noun
- unpresiding adjective
Etymology
Origin of preside
1605–15; < Latin praesidēre to preside over, literally, sit in front of, equivalent to prae- pre- + -sidēre, combining form of sedēre to sit 1
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.
There are reports that the Assembly of Experts could chose a council of leaders rather than one person to preside in this perilous time.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
His term ends on May 15, and before that Powell will preside over just two more rate-setting committee meetings: March 18 and April 29.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026
Powell’s term as chair expires in May, meaning he will preside over just three more rate-setting meetings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025
Under the highly unusual arrangement, COP31 would take place in Turkey but who would preside over the meeting -- Australia or Turkey -- was still being negotiated, the sources said.
From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025
The powerlessness of dictionaries to enforce the prescriptivists’ dream of preventing linguistic change does not mean that the dictionaries are doomed to preside over a race to the bottom.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
