Presieduto

Presieduto is the past participle of the Italian verb presiedere, meaning to preside over, to chair, or to oversee a meeting, event, or body. It can function as the verb’s participle in compound tenses (ha presieduto) and as an adjective describing a person or entity that has chaired or directed an event (as in a session or council). The form agrees with the noun it modifies: presieduto (masc. sing.), presieduta (fem. sing.), presieduti (masc. pl.), presiedute (fem. pl.).

Etymology traces presiedere to Latin praesidere, from prae- “before” and sedere “to sit,” reflecting the sense of sitting in front to lead or govern a proceeding.

Usage and style notes: presieduto is most common in formal or administrative language, including official reports, minutes, and legal or governmental documents. It conveys that a chairperson or presiding officer oversaw the proceedings. In many contexts, the passive construction è stata presieduta or è stato presieduto is used to emphasize that the event was chaired by a specified person, e.g., l’assemblea è stata presieduta dal sindaco.

Examples:

- Il presidente ha presieduto la riunione.

- L’assemblea presieduta dal sindaco ha approvato il bilancio.

- La conferenza è stata presieduta dal rettore.

Note: presieduto itself is not a noun; for references to the person who presides, Italian typically uses presidente or phrases like colui che presiede. The term remains a characteristic feature of formal Italian, distinguishing roles and proceedings by their chairing.