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presidential

/prɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/
/prɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/
IPA guide

Anything presidential has something to do with a president, or with the office of the presidency. A line of black cars with flashing lights driving down a Washington, DC street is probably the presidential motorcade.

In the US, the presidential residence is the White House, and the presidential term is four years. A presidential election can seem like it lasts even longer. You can also use this adjective for things that are typical or appropriate for a president. A presidential wave, whether the president gives it or not, is commanding and confident. And it's well known that candidates who don't look presidential aren't often elected, even if they're more than capable of running the country.

Definitions of presidential
  1. adjective
    relating to a president or presidency
    presidential aides”
    presidential veto”
  2. adjective
    befitting a president
    “criticized the candidate for not looking presidential
    synonyms:
    statesmanlike, statesmanly
    marked by the qualities of or befitting a statesman
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    unpresidential
    not presidential
    unstatesmanlike
    not statesmanlike
Pronunciation
US
/prɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/
UK
/prɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘presidential'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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