presiede

Presiede is the third person singular present indicative form of the Italian verb presiedere, meaning to preside or to chair. It is used to designate someone who leads a meeting, session, or deliberative body, guiding proceedings and maintaining order. In everyday and formal contexts, statements like “Il presidente presiede l’assemblea” describe the act of chairing.

Etymology and forms: presiedere derives from Latin praesidēre, from prae- “before” and sedēre “to sit,” conveying the idea of sitting in front to oversee. Besides presiede, the verb’s present tense forms include presiedo (I preside), presiedi (you preside), presiediamo (we preside), presiedete (you all preside), and presiedono (they preside). The past participle is presieduto, used in compound tenses with avere (ho presieduto) or in the passive voice as presieduta/presieduto in agreement with the subject.

Usage and examples: presiede is common in political, judicial, corporate, and organizational settings. Examples: “Il sindaco presiede la riunione,” meaning the mayor chairs the meeting; “La commissione è stata presieduta dal presidente” indicates the session was presided over by the chair. The verb supports passive constructions and can appear in formal documents to designate authority and oversight.

Related terms: presidenza (the presidency or tenure of presiding), presidente (the president or chairperson), presidenziale (presidential). It is important to distinguish presiede from preside, which as a noun refers to a school principal, not the act of chairing a meeting.