officeholder

noun

of·​fice·​hold·​er ˈä-fəs-ˌhōl-dər How to pronounce officeholder (audio)
ˈȯ-
Synonyms of officeholdernext
: one holding a public office

Examples of officeholder in a Sentence

the last officeholder was extremely conscientious about not using public funds for his personal gain
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.
About 40% of all municipal officeholders in the state are women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics. Grace Hase, Mercury News, 17 June 2026 Most of the new states mandated that officeholders be Protestant; many still had officially recognized churches, sanctioned by the government. Michael Luo, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 The general election determines officeholders for statewide positions, including for the Georgia governor and lieutenant governor, both of which have no incumbents running. Dan Raby, CBS News, 9 June 2026 Two other Republican statewide officeholders — Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and Secretary of State Scott Schwab — are also competing for the nomination. Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for officeholder

Word History

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of officeholder was in 1787

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Officeholder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/officeholder. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

officeholder

noun
of·​fice·​hold·​er -ˌhōl-dər How to pronounce officeholder (audio)
: a person holding a public office

More from Merriam-Webster on officeholder

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster