presidential, a.
(prɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl, prɛsɪ-)
[ad. med.L. præsidēntiāl-is (c 1120 in Du Cange), f. præsidēntia presidency: see -al1. Cf. F. présidentiel.]
1. Of or pertaining to a president or his office.
| 1603 Florio Montaigne iii. xii. 629 A President of the law..vanted himselfe, to have hudled vp together two hundred and od strange places in a presidentiall law-case of his. 1656 Heylin Surv. France 134 Presidentiall Courts. 1668 in R. Boyle's St. Papers (1742) I. Mem. App. 52 The presidential Court of Munster. a 1693 Urquhart's Rabelais iii. xxxvii. 313 With a Presidential Majesty holding his Bable. 1785 R. H. Lee in J. Adams's Wks. (1854) IX. 544 My presidential year being ended, I had left New York for this place. [Lee had been President of Congress.] 1797 Mery Warren in Abigail Adams's Fam. Lett. (1848) 374 My congratulations on Mr. Adams's elevation to the Presidential chair. 1846 N. F. Moore Hist. Sk. Columbia Coll. 75 The professorship which for about three years had been annexed to the presidential office. 1860 Lowell Election in Nov. Prose Wks. 1890 V. 19 The next Presidential Election looms always in advance. 1869 Symonds in Biog. (1895) II. 53 Some of the presidential addresses [Social Science Association] were mildly interesting. 1906 D. M. Forrest Authority of Christ vii. v. 411 The mother Church of Jerusalem where James had held a presidential position. |
2. Of the nature of a president; presiding.
| 1650 R. Gell Serm. 8 Aug. 10 He would..govern them..by a presidentiall Angel. 1659 Gauden Slight Healers (1660) 105 The order and eminency of presidential Episcopacy. 1676 Glanvill Ess. vi. 26 Thus Origen and others understand, that to be spoken by the Presidential Angels. |
3. Of or belonging to one of the (former) East Indian presidencies.
| 1857 S. Wilberforce Sp. Missions (1874) 107 The necessity of establishing missions in the presidential and other principal cities [of India]. 1877 Owen Wellesley's Desp. p. xlvi, The Presidential designation of the young civilian should be left to the Governor-General. |
Hence presiˈdentially adv., in a presidential way, in the character or person of a president; presiˈdentialism, the system or practice of presidential government; presiˈdentialist, a supporter or advocate of such government.
| 1882 J. Parker Apost. Life I. 30 She was there not officially, not presidentially. 1884 Daily News 24 July 5/2 On each of the six days a new president of the Conference will be elected, so that each of the great Powers will be represented presidentially. 1964 J. E. S. Hayward in Parliamentary Affairs XVIII. 35 L'Express drew the conclusion that the Opposition must accept Presidentialism and find a candidate for the next election. 1965 Economist 28 Aug. 787/3 Professor Burns himself is a convinced Presidentialist (and Democrat), and offers some concluding recommendations for reducing the four-party competition to two. 1973 W. G. Andrews in Political Stud. XXI. 311 The French constitutional structure has undergone radical change from parliamentarism towards presidentialism since 1958. 1974 Times 6 Nov. 14/6 If one begins to indulge in presidentialism after the South American pattern, then we shall have changed republics. 1975 Government & Opposition X. 28 The bipolarizing pressures inherent in a system of presidentialism based on election by universal suffrage have led to changes. |