president
C1formal
Definition
Meaning
The elected head of a republic; the highest-ranking officer in an organization or institution.
A person appointed or elected to preside over a meeting, assembly, or ceremonial body; the head of a college, university, company, or society.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Title is capitalized ('President') when referring to a specific national leader (e.g., President Biden) but lowercased when used generically or for other organizations. Often used attributively (e.g., president-elect, vice-president).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, 'President' is used for heads of organizations, societies, and some ceremonial roles, but the head of state is the monarch. In the US, 'President' is the head of state and government. The UK uses 'Chair' or 'Chairman' more commonly for heads of companies.
Connotations
In US context, strongly evokes executive power and national leadership. In UK, more likely to evoke ceremonial or organizational leadership.
Frequency
Much higher frequency in US media and discourse due to its central political role.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
President of [organization/country]elected/appointed/sworn in as Presidentserve as President for [term]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A president's word is law”
- “The buck stops with the president”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to the highest-ranking executive officer of a corporation (e.g., 'The president announced a new merger.').
Academic
Used for the head of a university or college (e.g., 'The university president presided over the graduation ceremony.').
Everyday
Primarily refers to the national political leader (e.g., 'I heard the president's speech on TV.').
Technical
In parliamentary systems, the presiding officer of a legislative body may hold the title President (e.g., 'The President of the Senate called for order.').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She will president over the committee's inaugural meeting.
American English
- He presidented the university with distinction for a decade.
adjective
British English
- The presidential motorcade caused traffic delays.
American English
- The presidential debate will air at nine o'clock.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The president lives in a big white house.
- Our club needs a new president.
- The company president made an important announcement today.
- She was elected president of the student council.
- The former president will be giving a lecture on foreign policy next week.
- Contrary to popular belief, the role of university president involves extensive fundraising.
- His autocratic style of leadership prompted some to accuse him of harbouring presidential ambitions beyond the constitutional term limits.
- The president pro tempore is a senior senator who presides over the chamber in the vice president's absence.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: PRESides over a country or organization like a PRESent leader.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE PRESIDENT IS A CAPTAIN (steering the ship of state), THE PRESIDENT IS A PARENT (caring for the nation).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'председатель' which is closer to 'chairperson'. 'Президент' is a direct equivalent for a republican head of state.
- In company contexts, 'президент компании' is a calque but the more common UK equivalent is 'Chairman' or 'Managing Director'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'the' unnecessarily before 'President' when it's a title (e.g., 'He is President of France', NOT 'He is the President of France'). However, 'the' is used when the title is descriptive (e.g., 'He is the president of a large company.').
- Capitalizing 'president' when used generically.
Practice
Quiz
In a UK context, which of the following is LEAST likely to be called a 'President'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is capitalized only when it precedes a person's name (President Macron) or is used as a direct title in place of a name. It is lowercased when used generically (e.g., 'every French president').
'President' often implies a more executive, outward-facing leadership role (common in US corporations and republics). 'Chairman' (or 'Chair') typically refers to the person presiding over meetings of a board or committee, with a focus on governance rather than day-to-day executive management (common in UK companies).
Yes, though it's rare and formal. It means 'to act as president; to preside' (e.g., 'She presidented over the tribunal').
In the US, the courtesy title 'Mr. President' is still used. Formally, they are addressed as 'President [Surname]'. In other countries, conventions vary, but 'Former President [Surname]' is common.