lord president of the council
C2Formal, Official, Political
Definition
Meaning
A senior member of the British government who presides over meetings of the Privy Council.
A ministerial title in the United Kingdom, usually held by a senior politician without a specific departmental portfolio, responsible for presiding over the Privy Council and often involved in coordinating government policy across departments.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
This is a proper title, always capitalized. It refers to a specific constitutional office, not a general description. The role is largely ceremonial in presiding over the Privy Council but is a Cabinet position often used for a minister without portfolio.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The title and office exist only in the UK political system. The USA has no direct equivalent.
Connotations
In the UK, it connotes high government office, historical tradition, and constitutional procedure. In the US context, it would be unrecognized or understood only as a foreign political term.
Frequency
Exclusively used in UK political and historical discourse. Virtually never used in American English outside specific comparative political studies.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
X serves as Lord President of the Council.The Lord President of the Council, Y, announced...Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(none specific to this title)”
Usage
Context Usage
Academic
Used in political science, history, and constitutional law texts discussing UK government structure.
Everyday
Rarely used in everyday conversation outside of news reports about UK Cabinet reshuffles.
Technical
A technical term in UK constitutional law and politics denoting a specific office of state.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The minister was appointed to lord president over the Council's ceremonies.
- (Note: This is a rare, non-standard verbification of the title.)
American English
- (Not applicable in US context)
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial form.)
American English
- (Not applicable)
adjective
British English
- (No standard adjectival form. 'Lord-Presidential' is highly non-standard.)
American English
- (Not applicable)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- (Too complex for A2 level.)
- The Lord President of the Council is a job in the British government.
- Following the reshuffle, Penny Mordaunt was appointed Lord President of the Council.
- As Lord President of the Council, her primary constitutional duty is to preside over meetings of the Privy Council, where Orders-in-Council are formally approved.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: The LORD who PRESIDES over the King's/Queen's COUNCIL (Privy Council).
Conceptual Metaphor
A KEYHOLDER to formal state machinery.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'President' as 'Президент'. The Russian 'председатель' is more accurate for this context. 'Council' here refers to 'Тайный совет' (Privy Council), not a generic 'совет'. A direct word-for-word translation would be misleading.
Common Mistakes
- Not capitalizing the full title ('lord president of the council').
- Confusing it with the President of the Supreme Court or the President of the European Council.
- Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'the lord president of our club').
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary constitutional role of the Lord President of the Council?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are different roles. The Prime Minister is the head of government. The Lord President of the Council is a separate Cabinet position, often held by a senior minister, who may also hold another title like Leader of the House of Commons.
The role's power comes from being a Cabinet minister, not from the title itself. The presiding function is ceremonial, but holders are usually influential politicians tasked with cross-departmental coordination.
Yes, it is a current Cabinet position in the UK government, though the office itself has existed for centuries.
It is a political appointment made by the Prime Minister. The appointee is almost always a senior member of the governing party and a member of the Privy Council.