mayor

IPA/meə(r)/
KK[mˈeɚ]IPA/ˈmeɪər/

mayor — noun

  • mayorsingular
  • mayorsplural

1. the most senior elected official in charge of running a local area such as a cit

1.nounB1
Definition

the most senior elected official in charge of running a local area such as a city

Example

The mayor held a meeting with local residents to discuss the new park.

mayor + held a meeting with + [group]

Anjali met the mayor at the city hall opening ceremony last week.

Common collocations
  • elected mayor
  • deputy mayor
  • incumbent mayor
  • mayor of [city]
  • former mayor
Synonyms
  • city manager

    Focuses on administrative duties rather than political leadership; often appointed, not elected

  • town head

    Informal term, more common in small communities

  • chief executive

    Much broader term that can refer to leaders of companies, states, or organizations

Antonyms
  • citizen

    A member of the community who is governed rather than governing

  • resident

    Someone who lives in the area but does not hold elected office

Grammar Patterns

mayor + of + [place]

serve as + mayor

Usage Note

In many countries, the mayor is both the political leader and the public face of a city. The mayor of a large city is often called 'the mayor' without naming the person, as in 'the mayor has announced new policies.'

Common Mistakes

The mayor of California signed the new law.
The governor of California signed the new law.
A mayor leads a city or town; a governor leads a state or province.
Idioms

the mayor's office

idiom

the administrative department that supports the mayor in running the city government; also used to mean the mayor and their staff as a group

The mayor's office released a statement about the new recycling program.

Zayd called the mayor's office to ask about the road repairs near his house.

Word family

  • mayoral
    adjectiveB2
  • mayorship
    nounC1
  • mayoress
    nounC1
  • mayorality
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mayor, governor, city manager, and councillor all refer to public officials, but at different levels and with different roles. A mayor is the elected head of a town or city government, responsible for both policy and public representation. A governor leads an entire state or province — a much larger jurisdiction than a mayor's city. A city manager is a professional administrator hired (not elected) by the city council to run daily operations, while the mayor remains the political leader. A councillor is one member of a law-making council, not the single head. For example: 'The mayor cut the ribbon at the new library' (ceremonial and political leader); 'the city manager approved the budget report' (administrative role).

mayor ↗governor ↗city managercouncillor ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • run for mayor
  • re-elect the mayor
  • mayor of [city]

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'mayor' comes from Old French maire, meaning the chief officer of a town. This French term traces back to Latin maior, the comparative form of magnus ('great'), so mayor literally means 'greater one' or 'more important person'.