preside
Americanverb (used without object)
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presides,
present (3rd person singular)
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presided,
past participle, past
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presiding
present participle
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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presidesimple
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presidessimple
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have presidedperfect
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has presidedperfect
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am presidingprogressive
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are presidingprogressive
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is presidingprogressive
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have been presidingperfect progressive
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has been presidingperfect progressive
Past
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presidedsimple
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had presidedperfect
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was presidingprogressive
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were presidingprogressive
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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)
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Just Mercy
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for January 23–29, 2021
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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.
See Examples For:
Los Angeles County voters face four runoff contests for Superior Court seats on Nov. 3, deciding who will preside over criminal and civil cases across the region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Although it was clear that America was under attack, the chief justice went to preside over the Judicial Conference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
That’s when Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee, is expected to preside over his first meeting as the new chairman.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
Eventually, they turned to Lucretia Mott’s husband, James, and asked him if he would preside over the meeting.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
King Mohammed VI, the 63-year-old monarch, appoints the prime minister from the political party that comes first in the election, but also presides over the Council of Ministers - the country's most important policy-making body.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Now he’s married with seven kids and presides over something of an online personal-finance empire that includes an app, books, workshops and social-media communities.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Jerry Brown appointed Draper to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where he now presides over high-value business disputes and complex civil matters.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
While Trump originally said External link the event would be held in the Oval Office, it is now taking place in the White House press briefing room, where press secretary Karoline Leavitt typically presides.
From Barron's ● Apr. 6, 2026
It presides over so many vital activities that even the slightest damage to it is fraught with serious consequences.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Judge John Julian, who presided over the hearing, set bail at $10,000, which Peters posted immediately after.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
He’s presided over declines in homicides and violent crime and established a period of relative calm after the stormy Villanueva years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
It's a legacy that Parton built quietly in the background as she presided over pop culture for more than six decades.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
This leads to a civil suit argued by the star of “Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law” and presided over by the leading light of “Mike Tyson Mysteries.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
“I shall take some up to Mother, though she said we were not to think of her, for she’d take care of herself,” said Meg, who presided and felt quite matronly behind the teapot.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
BBC Wales was told before the debate proceeded that the Senedd's presiding officer, Huw Irranca-Davies, did not consider the title - "full-face coverings are against British values" - to be against the guidance.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The presiding judge has scheduled a separate hearing for next week to consider various disputed matters, including whether to recommend the brothers be assigned to the same or separate prisons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
"The unauthorised use of a performer's voice... can be considered an infringement on publicity rights," said presiding judge Aya Takahashi.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
The judge presiding over the case ordered a hearing on Wednesday, where both sides will argue why the charges should stand or be dismissed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Anyway, the presiding judge said he was going to proceed with the calling of witnesses.
From "The Stranger" by Albert Camus
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