president

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The head of state of a republic, sometimes also the head of government as well, particularly (US politics) the head of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States of America.

   The vast majority of presidents have been male.

2. 2
   noun

   A person presiding over a meeting.

   The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted; The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President,[…]

3. 3
   noun

   A person presiding over a dinner or similar informal conversation.

   At another dinner, the president, on the removal of the cloth, rose and said... We will conduct weself in sich a manner, dat massa will neber be sorry for what him do dis night.

4. 4
   adj

   Occupying the first rank or chief place; having the highest authority; presiding.

   His angels president / In every province.

5. 5
   verb

   To act as president; to do presidential duties.

   Although in other ways you couldn’t imagine two more dissimilar men, [Scott Wiener's] ferociously active spirit resembles the Bolshevik antsiness of Donald Trump. The current president is attractive to some voters who might not agree with his values, or his language, or even his policies, but who like that the president is, well, presidenting. Last year, Trump bulldozed the East Wing of the White House, one of the most recognizable historic sites in the United States. [In contrast,] In Democratic cities, people demand 38 meetings and three dozen environmental assessments before tearing down a crack den to build a nursery for sad orphans.

6. 6
   noun

   Obsolete form of precedent.

   The thirſt of raigne and ſweetnes of a crowne, That cauſd the eldeſt ſonne of heauenly Ops, To thruſt his doting father from his chaire, And place himſelfe in the Emperiall heauen, Moou’d me to menage armes againſt thy ſtate. What better preſident than mightie Ioue?

7. 7
   noun

   An honorific for the head of state of a republic.

   the President of the United States

8. 8
   noun

   the chief executive of a republic

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'.