president

president — noun

1. The elected leader of a country that does not have a king or queen — the person

1.nounA2
Definition

The elected leader of a country that does not have a king or queen — the person who runs the government in countries such as the US, France, or South Korea.

Example

After winning the election, the new president promised to improve healthcare for all citizens.

Bao shook hands with the president during the official visit to the capital.

collocation: shake hands with the president

Common collocations
  • president of [country]
  • elect a president
  • President + [surname]
  • Mr./Madam President
  • former president
Synonyms
  • head of state

    broader term that includes presidents, kings, queens, and emperors; not specific to elected leaders

  • chief executive

    formal term focusing on the administrative role; more common in legal or political writing

  • leader

    more general term; does not specify the republican system and can apply to any group or country

Usage Note

Often used with a capital letter when it appears as a title before a person's name, e.g. 'President Park'. Can also be used as a form of address: 'Thank you, Mr. President.' This sense only refers to leaders of republics, not to kings, queens, or prime ministers in parliamentary systems with a separate head of state.

Common Mistakes

The president of the United Kingdom gave a speech.
The prime minister of the United Kingdom gave a speech.
The UK has a king as head of state, so the government leader is called the prime minister, not the president.
President Chen is a very good president.
President Chen is a very good leader.
Avoid repeating 'president' right after using it as a title; use a different word.

2. The person with the top role in a company, university, club, or other group, who

2.nounB1
Definition

The person with the top role in a company, university, club, or other group, who is responsible for making important decisions and guiding its direction.

Example

Caio was promoted to company president after leading the sales team for five years.

collocation: president of a company

The university president met with students to discuss the new library project.

collocation: university president

Common collocations
  • president of [company/university/club]
  • vice president
  • company president
  • club president
  • university president
Synonyms
  • chief executive officer

    more formal and specific to corporations; often abbreviated as CEO; in many companies the CEO is the top role while president may be second in command

  • chairperson

    the person who leads the board of directors; in some organizations this is a separate role from the president

  • director

    a more general term; can refer to a manager rather than the top leader

Antonyms
  • employee

    a person who works for an organization but does not hold the top leadership role

  • member

    a person who belongs to a club or group but is not its leader

Usage Note

In the US, the title 'president' is often used for the head of a company. In the UK and many other countries, terms like 'managing director' or 'chief executive officer (CEO)' are more common for commercial organizations. For universities, 'president' is the standard term in the US, while 'vice-chancellor' is more common in the UK.

Common Mistakes

The president of the company is my boss's boss.' (correct but vague)
The president of the company approved my proposal this morning.
Add a specific action to make the sentence meaningful and show the role in context.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

President, prime minister, chancellor, and head of state all refer to political leaders, but they describe different roles depending on a country's system of government. A president is the elected leader of a republic, serving as both head of state and head of government in countries like the US and South Korea. A prime minister is the head of government in a parliamentary system, such as in the UK or Japan, and typically works alongside a separate head of state (a monarch or a president with ceremonial duties). A chancellor is a title used in some countries (e.g., Germany and Austria) for the head of government, similar to a prime minister. Head of state is the broadest term, covering any person who represents a country at the highest level, whether a president, a monarch, or a ceremonial figure. For example: 'The president of France appoints the prime minister.' 'The British prime minister lives at 10 Downing Street.' 'Germany's chancellor meets with EU leaders.' 'The queen is the head of state of Canada.'

president ↗prime ministerchancellor ↗head of state

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • former president
  • acting president
  • vice president

Prepositions

  • president of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'president' comes from Latin 'praesidens' meaning 'one who sits before' or 'one who presides,' from the verb 'praesidere' (prae- 'before' + sedere 'to sit'). In ancient Rome, a 'praesidens' was a governor or official in charge of a province. The word entered English through Old French 'president' in the 14th century, initially referring to someone chosen to lead a meeting or group. By the late 18th century, after the American Revolution, it took on its modern meaning of the elected head of a republic, starting with the title 'President of the United States.'