preside

Preside is a verb meaning to exercise authority or to act as chair at a meeting, session, or ceremony. The person who presides is the presider or presiding officer. The term is used with over or at: preside over a meeting, preside at a ceremony, preside over a trial. In many contexts, presiding implies overseeing proceedings, maintaining order, and ensuring rules are followed, rather than making all decisions.

In legal contexts, a judge presides over a case, guiding the proceedings and ruling on matters as appropriate. In formal or public settings, a chair or other designated leader presides over the discussion, aiming to keep participants focused and the process fair. The phrase preside over is more common in American English, while preside at is also correct and often appears in more formal writing.

Etymology and form: preside comes from Latin praesidere, meaning to sit in front of, from prae- “before” + sedere “to sit.” The present tense forms include preside, presides, presiding; the past tense presided. The noun forms are presider and presiding officer.

Usage notes: preside emphasizes authority and responsibility for the conduct of an event or proceeding. It can be almost ceremonial in some contexts, or substantive in others. It is generally more formal than simply saying someone “chairs” a meeting, though chairs are common proxies in everyday language.

See also: chair, chairperson, presiding officer, officiate, moderate.