preside

verb

pre·​side pri-ˈzīd How to pronounce preside (audio)
presided; presiding

intransitive verb

1
: to exercise guidance, direction, or control
2
a
: to occupy the place of authority : act as president, chairman, or moderator
b
: to occupy a position similar to that of a president or chairman
3
: to occupy a position of featured instrumental performer
usually used with at
presided at the organ
presider noun

Examples of preside in a Sentence

Court is now in session, Justice Raul Fernandez presiding.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a short hearing, Tony Baumgartner, the presiding judge, said that Mr. Brand would face a four-to-five-week trial starting on June 3, 2026. Alex Marshall, New York Times, 30 May 2025 The case was dismissed in 2021, with the presiding judge ruling that the images had not been the property of Lanier’s forebears and thus did not rightfully belong to her. News Desk, Artforum, 29 May 2025 For federal prosecutors in L.A., hanging over the case was the memory of a recent humiliation: the collapse of the Pentagon Papers trial, as a result of the Nixon administration’s attempt to bribe the presiding judge with a job. Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025 Previous motions alleging judicial bias and inflammatory pretrial publicity were denied by the presiding judge, who ruled at the time that there was insufficient cause to halt the proceedings. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for preside

Word History

Etymology

Latin praesidēre to guard, preside over, from prae- + sedēre to sit — more at sit

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preside was in 1608

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preside.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preside. Accessed 27 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

preside

verb
pre·​side pri-ˈzīd How to pronounce preside (audio)
presided; presiding
1
: to be in the place of authority : act as president, chairperson, or moderator
preside over a meeting
2
: to be in charge

Legal Definition

preside

intransitive verb
pre·​side pri-ˈzīd How to pronounce preside (audio)
presided; presiding
1
: to exercise guidance, direction, or control
2
: to occupy the place of authority : direct or regulate proceedings as chief officer

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