at the pleasure of (someone)

idiom

—used to say that something is done or can be done because someone wants it to be done

I serve at the pleasure of the president, and I will continue to serve as long as the president wants me to.

Examples of at the pleasure of (someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Although religious order clergy serve at the pleasure of the bishop, the archdiocese has said religious order clergy aren’t accountable to them. —

Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024 Effectively, French voters had narrowly chosen the left-wing N.F.P. only to get a right-wing government, serving at the pleasure of Le Pen. —

Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024 Digital payments work easily here, but wholly at the pleasure of companies like Apple and Chase, or agencies like FinCen or the DOJ. —

Brady Dale, Axios, 3 Oct. 2024 In Los Angeles, the vast majority of city commissioners are volunteers who serve at the pleasure of the mayor. —

David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for at the pleasure of (someone)

Dictionary Entries Near at the pleasure of (someone)

at the plate

at the pleasure of (someone)

at the present time

See More Nearby Entries

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“At the pleasure of (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20pleasure%20of%20%28someone%29. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

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