preside
Americanverb (used without object)
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to occupy the place of authority or control, as in an assembly or meeting; act as president or chairperson.
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to exercise management or control (usually followed byover ).
The lawyer presided over the estate.
verb
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to sit in or hold a position of authority, as over a meeting
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to exercise authority; control
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to occupy a position as an instrumentalist
he presided at the organ
Other Word Forms
- presider noun
- unpresiding adjective
Etymology
Origin of preside
1605–15; < Latin praesidēre to preside over, literally, sit in front of, equivalent to prae- pre- + -sidēre, combining form of sedēre to sit 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It presides over a state, not an armed movement.
From BBC
Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who presides over a center-left coalition government, responded on X: “Mr. Ambassador Rose, allies should respect, not lecture, each other. At least this is how we, here in Poland, understand partnership.”
A former presiding judge of the county’s Superior Court, Daniel Buckley, was also brought on to vet DTLA’s cases following the allegations of fraud.
From Los Angeles Times
Kate presided over a mahogany séance table, dressed simply in a black silk gown with a gold cross around her neck almost like a kind of Spiritualist nun.
From Literature
Each August, tradition holds that a goat was captured from the mountains and crowned "King Puck," presiding over three days of festivities.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
