mayor

noun

may·​or ˈmā-ər  ˈmer 

 especially before names  (ˌ)mer

: an official elected or appointed to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough

mayoral

ˈmā-ə-rəl 

ˈmer-əl;

ˌmā-ˈȯr-əl 

adjective

Examples of mayor in a Sentence

the mayor of New York

Recent Examples on the Web

His father, John B. O'Reilly Sr., also served as mayor from 1978 to 1985, according to the Dearborn Historical Museum. —Eric Guzmán, Detroit Free Press, 1 Jan. 2025

That relationship evolved during his campaign for mayor of New York, which exposed him to new audiences beyond the magazine’s readers and donors. —Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 30 Dec. 2024

Javier Villalobos, the mayor of McAllen, Texas, recently told ABC affiliate WFAA that mass deportations would create issues with the American economy. —George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024

Newsom’s announcement comes just weeks after Oakland voters moved overwhelmingly to recall both the city’s mayor and the county’s district attorney, largely due to concerns over increases in property crimes. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English maire, from Anglo-French, from Latin major greater — more at major

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mayor

noun

may·​or ˈmā-ər  ˈme(-)ər 

: an official elected to act as head of a city or borough

mayoral

ˈmā-ə-rəl  ˈme- ə- 

adjective

Legal Definition

mayor

noun

may·​or ˈmā-ər, ˈmer 

: an official elected or appointed to act as chief executive or nominal head of a city, town, or borough