vice president

American

[vahys prez-i-duhnt] / ˈvaɪs ˈprɛz ɪ dənt /

Or vice-president

noun

an officer next in rank to a president who serves as president in the president's absence.
an officer next in rank to a president who serves as a deputy to the president or oversees a special division or function.
U.S. Government. the officer of this rank who is elected at the same time as the president and who succeeds to the presidency upon the resignation, removal, death, or disability of the president.

Lincoln's first vice president was Hannibal Hamlin.

vice president British

noun

Abbreviation: VP. V. Pres. an officer ranking immediately below a president and serving as his deputy. A vice president takes the president's place during his absence or incapacity, after his death, and in certain other circumstances

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

Why is the term vice president in the news? On August 11, 2020, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced he selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential running mate for the 2020 presidential election.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of vice president

First recorded in 1565–75

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.

Steve Day, the company’s senior vice president of corporate finance, will serve as interim chief financial officer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

“It is one of the most magical travel experiences that you can have, and what’s crazy is you’re still within the United States,” said Causey, a vice president at the travel agency Travelmation.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

And for his vice president, he had to settle for J.D.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

However, today’s level of inflation seems to be affecting prices more than wages, says Marc Goldwein, senior vice president for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

She became a vice president of the elementary school PTA and took on its newsletter.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023