president

American  

[prez-i-duhnt] / ˈprɛz ɪ dənt /

noun

presidents plural

1. the highest executive officer of a modern republic, as the chief executive of the United States.

   sworn in as the 56th president of Mexico.

2. an officer appointed or elected to preside over an organized body of persons.

3. the chief officer of a college, university, society, corporation, etc.

4. a person who presides.

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president British  

/ ˈprɛzɪdənt, ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl /

noun

1. (often capital) the chief executive or head of state of a republic, esp of the US

2. (in the US) the chief executive officer of a company, corporation, etc

3. a person who presides over an assembly, meeting, etc

4. the chief executive officer of certain establishments of higher education

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• presidentship
  noun
• presidential
  adjective
• presidentially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• presidents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of president

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin praesident- (stem of praesidēns ), noun use of present participle of praesidēre “to preside over, sit in front of”; see preside, -ent

Explanation

The president is the person officially in charge — whether it’s of a republic, a company, a college, or a fan club. This is a word for a leader, like the President of the United States or the president of the National Football League Players' Union. Many organizations have presidents, and they're usually elected by members of that group. When it’s followed by a name, the title president gets a capital p, as in President Obama. Whether with a P or p, the job of a president is to preside in a formal or official capacity.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

president presidents

One doesn’t easily turn down a plea by the president of the United States.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

"The president will want to deliver positive news on the economy," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Who was the first graduate of West Point to become the president of the United States?

From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026

In the most extreme circumstances, “those tradeoffs can be stark,” said Joseph Fernandez, president of Invenio Wealth Partners, a wealth-management firm.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

There was the “football”—a black briefcase carried by military officers, handed off from one to the other, kept close to the president at all times.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

This is the boldest move Infantino, an administrator who views himself as a world leader on par with presidents and prime ministers, has made in the decade since he became Fifa president.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

It doesn’t help that the vice presidents constantly runs down his wife in speeches, comments he tries to play off as jokes, but which are too hard-edged to sell as jovial.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

Ceremonial visits have been going on for years, and both Democratic and Republican presidents have embraced the tradition with athletes from various sports.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

“None of these presidents are famous for his love for civil liberties,” Lee noted.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

Any spots on the walls not taken up by books were covered with pictures of American presidents and various Roosevelts.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown