The majority of this article is about heads of states. For more on other kinds of presidents, see Non-Governmental Presidents, below. For more on the usage of term "president", see President (history of the term).

President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. Etymologically, a "president" is one who Preside, who sits in leadership (from Latin prae- "before" + sedere "to sit"; just as Praeses). Originally, the term referred to the presiding officer of a ceremony or meeting (i.e. chairman); but today it most commonly refers to an official with executive powers.

Among other things, President today is a common title for the Head of state of most republics, whether popularly elected, chosen by the legislature or a special electoral college. It is also often adopted by dictators.

Modern history of the designation

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Originally the term was used to refer to the presiding officer of a committee or governing body in Great Britain. Later this usage was applied to political leaders. Early examples are from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge (from 1464); the founding President of the Royal Society William Brouncker in 1660; heads of individual British colonies (originally Virginia in 1608); and chief officers of banks (from 1781).

More on [ President ]

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