president
English
Etymology
From Old French president, from Latin praesidēns (“presiding over; president, leader”) (accusative: praesidentem). The Latin word is the substantivized present active participle of the verb praesideō (“preside over”). The verb is composed from prae (“before”) and sedeō (“sit”). The original meaning of the verb is 'to sit before' in the sense of presiding at a meeting. A secondary meaning of the verb is 'to command, to govern'. So praesidēns means 'the presiding one on a meeting' or 'governor, commander'.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpɹɛzɨdənt/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (UK) (file) - Hyphenation: pre‧si‧dent
Noun
president (plural presidents, feminine presidentess)
- The head of state of a republic, a representative democracy and sometimes a dictatorship.
- 2007, Benjamin Camins, Hillary Is the Best Choice, Page 144
- […] to change the pattern of the last 220 years of only voting for a white male president, and elect a woman president […]
- The vast majority of presidents have been male.
- 2007, Benjamin Camins, Hillary Is the Best Choice, Page 144
- Primary leader of a corporation. Not to be confused with CEO, which is a related but separate position that is sometimes held by a different person.
- A person presiding over a meeting, chair, presiding officer, presider.
- Obsolete form of precedent.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)
Synonyms
- (American head of state): POTUS
- (head of a college or university): provost (UK)
- (head of various specific bodies): prepositus
- (informal, jocular): prexy, prez
Translations
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Adjective
president (not comparable)
- (archaic) Occupying the first rank or chief place; having the highest authority; presiding.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
- His angels president / In every province.
- (Can we date this quote?) John Milton
Catalan
Czech
Dutch
Pronunciation
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: pre‧si‧dent
- Rhymes: -ɛnt
Middle French
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Latin praesidens
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: pre‧si‧dent
Noun
president m (definite singular presidenten, indefinite plural presidenter, definite plural presidentene)
Derived terms
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Latin praesidens
Noun
president m (definite singular presidenten, indefinite plural presidentar, definite plural presidentane)
Swedish
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
president c
Declension
Declension of president | ||||
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Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | president | presidenten | presidenter | presidenterna |
Genitive | presidents | presidentens | presidenters | presidenternas |
Related terms
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References
- president in Svenska Akademiens ordlista över svenska språket (13th ed., online)