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

Navy, Dad went to work as a vice president for a large American defense contractor.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Apple also announced on April 21 that current CEO Tim Cook will be stepping down, and John Ternus, currently Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, will replace him in September.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

"The certainty is people have never told us they want their stuff slower," says David Carbon, vice president of Amazon Prime Air.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Chris Wecker, vice president of the police union, said officers’ frustration with Feldstein Soto goes beyond the data breach.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

He returned to America in time to be elected the first vice president of the United States, which most observers, including Adams himself, interpreted as a popular mandate on his historical contribution to independence.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis