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:
Infantino, due to preside over it, showed up late—not because of any logistical mishap, but because he had chosen to spend extra time traveling with Trump through Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 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
It’s a two-year term to preside over Southern Section Council meetings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
In rare cases, a judge alone may preside over a trial in Australia, but if the case is heard before a jury, finding one oblivious to Roberts-Smith will be a challenge.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
The next day, Serber and Oppie boarded a train to Washington for a GAC meeting, at which Oppenheimer would preside and Serber would give a presentation on the proposed heavy-water reactor.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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
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
André De Shields, Tony-winning royalty, presides over this Jellicle Ball in the role of Old Deuteronomy.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
The left hemisphere presides over rational, analytical and critical thinking.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The hearing is where the debasement gets acknowledged, years late, under fluorescent lights, by the people who presided over it.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
When any side embarks on the sort of root and branch revolution the Italian presided over this summer, it is inevitable there will be teething problems and time required for understandings and relationships to form.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Walgren had presided earlier this year over the trial related to the 2018 killing at the same building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Mr. Patel was among the prosecutors fired before the report’s release—a small but significant measure of accountability for those who presided over this campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
William Levitt presided over Levitt and Sons with his brother, Alfred, but he was the public face of the partnership.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Judge Julie Mata, who was presiding over the paternity case, wasn’t as amused.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
At the moment, the judges presiding over both cases have allowed the trials to proceed.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
He was freed after his conviction was overturned on procedural grounds, with the presiding judge also later ruled to have been biased.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
A dissent by presiding Justice Alison Tucher concluded the majority misread the proposition, which she said must adhere to the state’s civil rights laws.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
For the next five minutes, the eyes of the presiding judge, the jury, and every functionary of the court are glued to the main doors.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
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.
