president
Americannoun
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the highest executive officer of a modern republic, as the chief executive of the United States.
sworn in as the 56th president of Mexico.
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an officer appointed or elected to preside over an organized body of persons.
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the chief officer of a college, university, society, corporation, etc.
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a person who presides.
noun
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(often capital) the chief executive or head of state of a republic, esp of the US
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(in the US) the chief executive officer of a company, corporation, etc
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a person who presides over an assembly, meeting, etc
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the chief executive officer of certain establishments of higher education
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing president
Mexico - Introductory
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Mexico - Middle School
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Mexico - High School
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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.
But Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, travelled to Warsaw last weekend following Nawrocki's threat to strip the Ukrainian president of the Order of the White Eagle.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, said the EU learned to be “the boring partner” with the U.S. amid new trade duties.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
“This initiative reflects the serious crisis we face and that affordability is a real thing,” said Vikas Saini, president of the Lown Institute, a Massachusetts-based healthcare think tank.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
Becerra campaigned as a battle-tested warrior against the Republican president and a champion of affordable healthcare.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
That night while we were eating supper, Bill Weiss, president of the Empire Canning Company, and Frank Gibson, owner of the GemCafé, appeared.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
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.
