English → Latin
“president” in Latin
praeficiōto place in command, put in chargemagistermaster, chief, head, superior, director, president, leader, commander, conductor; teacher, instructor, educator of childpraesessitting before (usually to guard or take care of something or someone), presider; protector, guard, guardian, defender; antistesoverseer; high priest; master (of an art)praepōnōto place or set over as chief, commander, or superintendent; to place at the head of or entrust with the charge or comma
The English word president itself goes back to Latin prae, through praesidēns.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
president
praefectus (one who presides over an office or business; ☞ in the best prose always with a genitive or dative of the office, etc.): magister (one who is intrusted with the oversight or care of an institution, or the like): praeses (one who presides, as the head): antistes (the head of a temple, and of sacred offices belonging to it: ☞ rarely, and only in the Silver Age, in the more general sense of “a president “). To make one president of anything, aliquem alicui rei praeficere or praeponere.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for president?
- The usual Latin words for “president” are praeficiō, magister, praeses; also antistes, praepōnō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.