preside
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to occupy the place of authority or control, as in an assembly or meeting; act as president or chairperson.
-
to exercise management or control (usually followed byover ).
The lawyer presided over the estate.
verb
-
to sit in or hold a position of authority, as over a meeting
-
to exercise authority; control
-
to occupy a position as an instrumentalist
he presided at the organ
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
presidesimple
-
presidessimple
-
have presidedperfect
-
has presidedperfect
-
am presidingprogressive
-
are presidingprogressive
-
is presidingprogressive
-
have been presidingperfect progressive
-
has been presidingperfect progressive
Past
-
presidedsimple
-
had presidedperfect
-
was presidingprogressive
-
were presidingprogressive
-
had been presidingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
When you preside over something, you're acting as the leader or president. The captain of a club presides over the meetings. Whether your title is President or not, when you preside, you're acting as a president or another kind of leader. A judge presides over a courtroom. The owner of a business presides over staff meetings. If you work in an office, your boss presides over the office. Presiding can mean ruling or just supervising something. If you preside over something, you're in charge of it.
Vocabulary lists containing preside
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (1775)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Just Mercy
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for January 23–29, 2021
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
O'Neill was back by January, trying to preside over a chaotic transfer window while picking up the pieces of a badly damaged league campaign.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
It’s a two-year term to preside over Southern Section Council meetings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
Beaver is one of those manosphere gurus who preside over dismal power-of-positive-thinking seminars in hotel conference rooms where lost men gather for advice on how to win.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
South Korean director Park Chan‑wook, renowned for his thriller "Oldboy", will preside over the 79th Cannes film festival jury in May, organisers announced Thursday.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
The Reverend forbade us to observe any ritual over which he was not asked to preside, but twice, at night, I slipped out to spy on the funerals.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
At the same time, the federal judge in L.A. who presides over the agreement appears poised to appoint a powerful new enforcer to uphold it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Consider the decision from the 6th Circuit, which incorporated Consumers’ Research into its reasoning, and which presides over Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Derby.
From Slate ● Jun. 12, 2026
In Texas, the county judge presides over and votes in the county’s commissioner court, which handles county government administration.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
He presides over a land that once forged a massive empire but which today is reduced to the status of a thwarted power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
The left hemisphere presides over rational, analytical and critical thinking.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The conviction stemmed from an incident that took place as Dugan presided over a docket that included the criminal case of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who was facing three domestic assault charges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Alan Greenspan is being remembered as the Federal Reserve chairman who presided, in the 1990s, over the longest stretch of uninterrupted economic growth then on record.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
The meeting was presided over by Acting Supt.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
As chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1987-2006, a post described as the second most important after the presidency, he presided over the longest sustained period of US economic growth in a generation.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Hagrid presided over the Care of Magical Creatures exam the following morning with a very preoccupied air indeed; his heart didn’t seem to be in it at all.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
He arrived at the summit hours after presiding over Sunday’s Ultimate Fighting Championship cage match at the White House to celebrate his 80th birthday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
A Senedd spokesperson said no breach had been committed by the MS, although the BBC was told the presiding officer's comments could be construed as a final warning to all members.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is presiding over a trial that combines more than 2,000 cases focused on the harms of social media use by minors.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
Nathan Hochman asked the judge presiding over the case to halt the historic payout, while the county’s legal team fought to keep the deal on track.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
In administrative court, the charge would be read by the presiding magistrate.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
