Etimology
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'.
noun
president (plural presidents, feminine presidentess)
The head of state of a republic.
In presidential republics, the head of government and head of state.
Primary leader of a corporation. Not to be confused with CEO, which is a related but separate position that is sometimes held by a different person.
A person presiding over a meeting; a chair, presiding officer, presider.
Obsolete form of precedent.
Examples
Well, nobody else can make a decision but me because I was the President and the final decision comes to the President, you know. I used to have a sign on my desk that said, "The Buck Stops Here." The buck stops at the president's desk when he's president of the United States, and he either makes the decisions or he lets them go by default, and you can't afford to do that when you're president.
[…] to change the pattern of the last 220 years of only voting for a white male president, and elect a woman president […]
The vast majority of presidents have been male.
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, […]
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?
Related words
synonyms
(American head of state): POTUS
(head of a college or university): provost (UK)
(head of various specific bodies): prepositus
(informal, jocular): prexy, prez
adjective
president (not comparable)
(archaic) Occupying the first rank or chief place; having the highest authority; presiding.
Examples
His angels president / In every province.
verb
president (third-person singular simple present presidents, present participle presidenting, simple past and past participle presidented)
To act as president; to do presidential duties.