vice president

American  

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

Or vice-president

noun

vice presidents plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vice presidents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vice president

First recorded in 1565–75

Example Sentences

“We haven’t done a great job as an industry at telling the story,” Brent Bell, vice president of recycling at Waste Management, tells Barron’s.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

The result, says Naima Keith, LACMA’s senior vice president of education, public programs and regional partnerships, will be more family-friendly than its New York predecessors —but equally eclectic.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

Rivian’s vice president of sales, Gary Gaines, said the R2 requires a lower down payment for leasing than the more expensive R1S: $3,500 for the former versus $6,500 for the latter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026

Some might be holding those out-of-the-money calls as part of a more complex multi-leg options strategy, said Mike Treacy, head market analyst and vice president of risk at Apex.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 16, 2026

There he was, Mohammed with the vice president of Lebanon.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers