presidency

American  

[prez-i-duhn-see] / ˈprɛz ɪ dən si /

noun

plural

presidencies

1. the office, function, or term of office of a president.

2. (often initial capital letter) the office of president of the United States.

3. Mormon Church.

   1. a local governing body consisting of a council of three.

   2. (often initial capital letter) the highest administrative body, composed of the prophet and his two councilors.

4. the former designation of any of the three original provinces of British India: Bengal, Bombay, and Madras.

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presidency British  

/ ˈprɛzɪdənsɪ /

noun

1. 1. the office, dignity, or term of a president

   2. (often capital) the office of president of a republic, esp the office of the President of the US

2. Mormon Church

   1. a local administrative council consisting of a president and two executive members

   2. (often capital) the supreme administrative body composed of the Prophet and two councillors

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Etymology

Origin of presidency

From the Medieval Latin word praesidentia, dating back to 1585–95. See president, -ency

Explanation

A presidency is the executive office of a country, state, company, or other large organization. It's also the way to refer to the whole length of time a president is president: "Washington's presidency ended after two terms." When a candidate is elected to the presidency, that person becomes president, the head of a nation, organization, college, or company. The presidency of the United States has potential to change every four years, when the country holds elections. You can also use presidency to talk about a particular time period, defined by who was president them: "His presidency was a period marked by recession and job loss."

Example Sentences

Not content with mere parliamentary preeminence, de Gaulle quickly fashioned a Fifth Republic with a semimonarchical presidency to which he was elected the following year, an office he would hold for a decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

US President Donald Trump, who established the Artemis programme during his first presidency in 2017, called the crew while in space to invite them to the White House for an Oval Office reception.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

“I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States,” Harris said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

At its core, the PRA is one of the most important ways that we get to look inside the presidency.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

As we moved toward the end of Barack’s presidency, I thought about America this same way.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• board
• bureau
• cabinet
• committee
• department
• executive
• legislature
• management
• ministry