president
Pluralpresidents
Pluralpresidents
Formspresidents, presidenting, presidented
- 1The head of state of a republic; in some countries, such as the United States, also the head of the government.
The president addressed the nation after the election results were confirmed.
Many republics elect a new president every four to six years.
UsageCapitalized before a name (President Lincoln), usually lowercase otherwise: the president of France, a new president.
- 2The person voted or appointed to lead an organization such as a club, a society, a union or a university.
The union's president urged members to reject the latest contract offer.
After twenty years on the faculty, she was named president of the university.
UsageUsually president of the group, or with the group in front: union president, college president.
- 3A senior executive who leads a corporation, often its highest officer, though in some firms ranking below a separate chief executive officer.
The president of the company announced record profits at the shareholder meeting.
She was promoted to president after years in the marketing division.
UsageNot always the same as CEO: some firms have both, so use the title the company itself gives.
Similarhead
Note
In business the title sits close to chief executive officer, but the two are separate offices. Sometimes one person holds both titles. Sometimes they are split, and a company has a president and a CEO working side by side.
- 4A person who presides over a meeting, also called the chair or presiding officer.
As president of the session, she opened the debate, recognized speakers in turn, and ruled on every point of order.
The delegates elected a president for the three-day convention, whose only job was to keep the debates orderly and call each vote.
UsageUsually president of + the body (President of the Senate); for an ordinary meeting, chair is the everyday word.
Similarchair, chairperson, chairman
Note
The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution (ratified in 1804) uses two meanings in one breath. The President of the Senate opens the certificates, and then the votes for the nation's elected leader are counted.
Less common meanings
- 5
- 6Occupying the first rank or chief place and holding the highest authority.
His angels president / In every province.
1671, John Milton, “The First Book”Note
An adjective that survives mostly in older verse. Milton writes "His angels president / In every province" in Paradise Regain'd (1671), placing it after the noun, much as presiding would stand. It does not compare, because nothing is more or less president than another. Modern writing uses presiding or principal instead, so keep this sense for reading, not for new prose.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- John Milton wrote Paradise Regain'd, first published in 1671. en.wikipedia.org
- The quoted words occur in the poem, with ‘president’ following ‘angels’. gutenberg.org
- ‘President’ is used after the noun with the meaning ‘presiding’. en.wiktionary.org
- The adjective is non-comparable. en.wiktionary.org
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Old French president, from Latin praesidēns ('presiding over; leader'), the present participle of the verb praesideō ('preside over'). That verb combines prae ('before') and sedeō ('sit'), so it originally meant 'to sit before' in the sense of presiding at a meeting, with a secondary sense of 'to command, to govern'. Thus praesidēns meant 'the one presiding at a meeting' or 'governor, commander'.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 7 facts
- English president comes from Old French president, from Latin praesidēns. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin praesidēns means presiding over and, as a noun, leader. en.wiktionary.org
- Praesidēns is the present participle of praesideō, meaning preside over. en.wiktionary.org
- Praesideō combines prae, meaning before, and sedeō, meaning sit. en.wikipedia.org
- The verb originally meant to sit before, in the sense of presiding at a meeting. en.wiktionary.org
- The verb also means to command or govern. en.wiktionary.org
- Praesidēns can denote someone presiding, a governor or a commander. en.wiktionary.org