vice president

American  

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

Or vice-president

noun

1. an officer next in rank to a president who serves as president in the president's absence.

2. an officer next in rank to a president who serves as a deputy to the president or oversees a special division or function.

3. 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.

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vice president British  

noun

1. 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

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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

“The longer the conflict continues, the more of an impact the charges and delays will have on supply chains,” said Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain at the National Retail Federation.

From The Wall Street Journal

In a separate post a few days earlier, Max Schwarzer, a vice president of research at OpenAI, wrote on X that he was leaving to join Anthropic.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mohammad Mokhber, a former Iranian vice president, called the new supreme leader “the complete mirror of our martyred leader, Imam Khamenei.”

From The Wall Street Journal

She eventually asked her vice president of advancement to follow up.

From The Wall Street Journal

The funeral service drew an extraordinary lineup of national figures, including former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, along with former vice president Kamala Harris and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

From Salon