president

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. One appointed or elected to preside over an organized body of people, such as an assembly or meeting.
2. n. The chief executive of a republic.
3. n. The chief executive of the United States, serving as both chief of state and chief political executive.
4. n. The chief officer of a branch of government, corporation, board of trustees, university, or similar body.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. Presiding; directing; guiding; occupying the chief place or first rank.
2. n. One who presides; one who superintends and directs the proceedings of others; a ruler; a ruling spirit.
3. n. An officer elected or appointed to preside over and control the proceedings of others. The presiding officer of an assembly: as, the president of a convention.
4. n. The chief officer of a corporation, company, or society: as, the president of a railway company, or of a bank.
5. n. The governing officer of a college or university.
6. n. The highest officer of state in a modern republic. The President of the United States is chosen once in four years by presidential electors, who are elected by the people of the several States, the electors in every State being equal in number to the senators and representatives of the State in Congress. The action of the electors is a mere formality, as they always vote for the nominees of the national conventions of their party. The President is commander-in-chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States when called into the service of the United States. He is authorized to grant reprieves and pardons for violation of United States laws (except in cases of impeachment), to make treaties with the concurrence of two thirds of the Senate, to recommend legislation, and to see that the laws are faithfully executed. His powers of appointment to office are partly provided for in the Constitution and partly statutory; his chief appointments (requiring confirmation by the Senate) are—cabinet officers and heads of bureaus or subdivisions, diplomatic and consular agents, federal judges, officers of territories, postmasters of the first, second, and third classes, and the principal officers of the army and navy. His salary is $50,000 a year. President was the title of the chief executive magistrate in New Hampshire from 1784 to 1792 (President of Council, 1776-84), in Pennsylvania from 1776 to 1790, in Delaware from 1776 to 1792, and in South Carolina from 1776 to 1778. Subsequently these titles were exchanged for that of governor. The President of the French republic is elected for seven years by the Senate and Chamber of Deputies united in National Assembly. The President of the Swiss Confederation is elected for one year by the Federal Assembly, from among the members of the Federal Council. Abbreviated Pres.
7. n. A title given to the head of the Mormon hierarchy. He acts in conference with two counselors. It is his duty “to preside over the whole Church, and to be a Seer, a Revelator, a Translator, and a Prophet” (Mormon Catechism, p. 17).
8. n. A protector; a tutelary power; a patron.
9. n. A kind of damask of silk, or silk and wool, used for upholstery.
10. n. An erroneous spelling of precedent.

Wiktionary

1. n. The head of state of a republic, a representative democracy and sometimes (in cases of constitutional violations) a dictatorship.
2. n. 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.
3. n. A person presiding over a meeting, chair, presiding officer, presider.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. obsolete Precedent.
2. adj. rare Occupying the first rank or chief place; having the highest authority; presiding.
3. n. One who is elected or appointed to preside; a presiding officer, as of a legislative body.
4. n. The chief officer of a corporation, company, institution, society, or the like.
5. n. The chief executive officer of the government in certain republics.
6. n. obsolete A protector; a guardian; a presiding genius.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization
2. n. the office of the United States head of state
3. n. the person who holds the office of head of state of the United States government
4. n. the chief executive of a republic
5. n. the head administrative officer of a college or university
6. n. an executive officer of a firm or corporation