vice

vice — prefix

1. placed before a job title to indicate that a person holds the position directly

1.prefixB1
Definition

placed before a job title to indicate that a person holds the position directly below the top role and has the authority to take over the top person's duties when needed.

Example

Wren was promoted to vice-president of marketing at the Tokyo office last year.

vice- + job title: vice-president

The vice-chairman, Justin, will lead the board meeting in the chairperson's absence.

Common collocations
  • vice-president
  • vice-chairman
  • vice-principal
  • vice-captain
Synonyms
  • deputy

    used after the title rather than before (e.g. deputy director vs. vice-director), more common in government and management

  • assistant

    suggests a broader supporting role rather than specifying 'next in line to take over'

Grammar Patterns

vice- + noun (title)

Usage Note

In British English, the prefix is often hyphenated (vice-president, vice-chairman). In American English, it is more commonly written without a hyphen (vice president, vice chairman). Some well-established compounds like vice-president are written with a hyphen in both varieties.

Common Mistakes

She is the vice of the company.
She is the vice-president of the company.
'vice' is not a standalone noun meaning 'deputy'; it must always be attached to a title.

vice — noun

vice — preposition

Word family

  • vicious
    adjectiveB2
  • vicissitude
    nounC2
  • viceroy
    nounC1
  • vice squad
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe negative aspects of character, but they differ in moral weight and scope. 'Vice' carries the strongest moral judgment — it refers to a deeply ingrained bad quality such as greed or dishonesty, often with a sense of corruption. 'Fault' is the broadest and mildest; it can describe any imperfection in a person's character or even in a physical object, without implying serious wrongdoing. 'Sin' has a religious or spiritual connotation: it is an act that violates divine law, not merely a personal flaw. 'Weakness' is softer than 'vice' — it suggests a lack of willpower rather than a deliberate bad habit. For example, a person might say 'chocolate is my weakness' as a harmless confession, but calling it 'my vice' adds a note of playful moral judgment. In serious contexts, a judge might condemn 'a life of vice and corruption,' while a friend might gently mention 'your one fault is being too honest.'

vice ↗fault ↗sin ↗weakness ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'vice' enters English along two separate historical paths. The meanings related to moral fault and criminal activity come from Latin 'vitium' (fault, defect, crime), passing through Old French 'vice' into Middle English. The tool meaning comes from a different Latin word — 'vitis' (vine) — whose sense of 'twisting' was applied to the screw mechanism of a holding device. These two words happen to have merged into the same spelling in English. The prefix comes from Latin 'vice' (ablative of 'vicis' meaning 'change, alternation'), giving the sense of 'one who takes the place of another.'