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

vice presidency noun
vice presidential adjective
vice-presidency noun
vice-presidential adjective

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.

He will be succeeded by Andy Caine, Nike vice president and creative director for sportswear, effective Sunday, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Now the US vice president has been tasked with ending it.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

“We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive,” said the vice president, who is known for being skeptical of military interventionism.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Before his promotion last year, Bignell had been vice president in charge of men’s performance footwear for about five years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

She protested, arguing that “feebleness unfitted her,” but she reluctantly agreed to serve with support from her vice president, Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

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