Mayor

Definition

The elected head of a city, town, or other municipality.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪər/
• Respelling: MAY-er (with "MAY" as in "day" and "er" as in "her")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪ.ər/
• Respelling: MAY-uh (with "MAY" as in "day" and "uh" as in "sofa")

In both dialects, "mayor" places the primary stress on the first syllable, "MAY." The pronunciation is slightly different between American and British English, with "MAY-er" in American English and "MAY-uh" in British English.

Etymology

Derived from the Old French term "mair", which means "superior". This word itself originated from the Latin "major", meaning "greater" or "superior".

Derivatives

• Mayoral
• Mayoralty
• Mayoress (chiefly British, the wife or female counterpart of a mayor)
• Mayoralship
• Mayordom

Synonyms

• Burgomaster (in some European countries)
• Chief magistrate
• Town leader

Antonyms

• Citizen
• Commoner
• Subordinate

Usage

• The mayor will be inaugurating the new park next week.
• She ran for mayor last year and won by a large margin.

Related Terms

• Councilman/Councilwoman
• Alderman
• Municipality
• City Hall
• Civic

Detailed Definition

Noun

• The head or chief official of a city or town, often elected by the public.
• Example: The mayor of New York City has a lot of responsibilities given the size and prominence of the city.

• A ceremonial title given to the most senior official or representative in some organizations or communities.
• Example: He was named the "mayor" of the golf club because of his outstanding contributions and leadership.