Dictionary

preside en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹɪˈzaɪd/

Etymology

From Old French presider, from Latin praesidēre (“preside”), from pre- (“before”) + sedere (“to sit”). Displaced Old English foresittan, which might have been a calque of the Latin.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To act as president or chairperson.
2. (intransitive) To exercise authority or control.
   • When all this was sailed through, there still remained the toolroom—a most efficient department presided over by a quiet man who was an expert on astronomy as well as jigs, tools and fixtures. 1944 September and October, A Former Pupil, “Some Memories of Crewe Works—I”, in Railway Magazine, page 283:
   • The firſt day of November was dedicated to the angel preſiding over fruits, ſeeds, &c. and was therefore named la mas ubhal, that is, the day of the apple fruit, and being pronounced lamasool, the English have corrupted the name to lambswool, a name they give to a compoſition made on this eve of roaſted apples, ſugar, and ale. 1786, “Of Allhallow Eve, Named by the Irish Oidhche Shamhna”, in Charles Vallancey, editor, Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, volume III, Dublin: Luke White, pages 444-445:
3. (intransitive) To be a featured solo performer.
   • I’ll preside at the organ.

Forms

Synonyms

oversit · moderate

Translations (27)

ru председа́тельствовать (to act as a president or chairperson) · ang foresittan (to act as a president or chairperson) · nl voorzitten (to act as a president or chairperson) · mww saib (to act as a president or chairperson) · ro prezida (to act as a president or chairperson) · la praesum (to act as a president or chairperson) · sh предсје́дати (to act as a president or chairperson) · tr yönetmek (to act as a president or chairperson) · ga dul sa chathaoir (to act as a president or chairperson) · de präsidieren (to act as a president or chairperson) · sh predsjédati (to act as a president or chairperson) · hi पीठासीन (to act as a president or chairperson) · tr başkanlık etmek (to act as a president or chairperson) · fr présider (to act as a president or chairperson) · it presiedere (to act as a president or chairperson) · eo prezidi (to act as a president or chairperson) · de den Vorsitz haben (to act as a president or chairperson) · pl prezydować (to act as a president or chairperson) · fi olla puheenjohtajana (to act as a president or chairperson) · uk головува́ти (to act as a president or chairperson) · pl przewodniczyć (to act as a president or chairperson) · la sedeō (to act as a president or chairperson) · grc προστατέω (to act as a president or chairperson) · es presidir (to act as a president or chairperson) · got 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 (to act as a president or chairperson) · tr başkanlık yapmak (to act as a president or chairperson) · bg председателствам (to act as a president or chairperson)