mayor

See also:Mayor

English

Alternative forms

• maiere,maieur,mar,mayere,meer,mehir,meir,meire,mer,mere,meyhir,meyr,maier,mayer,mayr,meyer,meyre,maiour,mair,maire,mare,mayre,maior,major,mawer,majer,mayour(obsolete)

Etymology

Circa 1300; fromMiddle Englishmaire,fromOld Frenchmaire(“head of a city or town government”)(13th century), fromLatinmaior(“bigger, greater, superior”),comparative ofmagnus(“big, great”).Doubletofmajor.

Pronunciation

• (UK)IPA^(key):/ˈmɛə/,(uncommon)/ˈmeɪ.ə/
• (General American)IPA^(key):/ˈmeɪ.əɹ/,/ˈmɛɹ/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

• Homophone:mare(monosyllabic form)
• Rhymes:-ɛə(ɹ),-eɪə(ɹ)

Noun

mayor(pluralmayors)

1. Thechief executiveof themunicipalgovernmentof acity,borough,etc.,formerly(historical)usuallyappointedas acaretakerbyEuropeanroyalcourtsbutnowusuallyappointedorelectedlocally.
   • 1907 Sept. 12,The Nation,page222:

     The office ofmayorhas been the tomb of many political ambitions.

   • 1966 Mar. 31,Lyndon B. Johnson,Remarks before the National Legislative Conference of the National League of Cities:

     When the burdens of the Presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself that it could be worse—I could be amayorof a city instead.

   • 1988,John B. Judis,William F. Buckley Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives,pagep. 291:

     WhileBuckleywould later privately describeChicago'sMayorDaleyas a Fascist, he was not willing to letVidaluse the police to vindicate the demonstrators, who, in Buckley's mind, had provoked much ofthe violence.

   • 1993 Dec. 16,Bill Oakleyet al.,“"$pringfield"”,inThe Simpsons,season 5, episode10:

     Quimby:I propose that I use what's left of the town treasury to move to a more prosperous town and run formayorand once selected I will send for the rest of you.
     All:Boo!

   • 2006,Ed Burnset al.,“"Soft Eyes"”,inThe Wire,season 4, episode 2:

     Carver:What the helld'yousay to him?
     Hauk:I said "MrMayorthat's a good strong dick you've got there and I see you know how to use it. "I didn't say shit!

2. (historical)Short formayor of the palace,theroyalstewardsof theFrankishEmpire.
3. (historical)Synonym ofmair,variousformerofficialsin theKingdomofScotland.
4. (Ireland,rare,obsolete)Amemberof acity council.
5. (historical,obsolete)Ahighjustice,animportantjudge.
6. (chieflyUS)Alargelyceremonialpositioninsomemunicipalgovernmentsthatpresidesover thecity councilwhile acontractedcity managerholdsactualexecutivepower.
7. (figurative,humorous)AlocalVIP,amuckamuckorbig shotreckonedtoleadsomelocalgroup.
   • 1902 May 22,Westminster Gazette,p. 2:

     In some parts the burlesque civic official was designated ‘Mayorof the Pig Market’.

   • 1982,Randy Shilts,TheMayorof Castro Street:

     TheMayorofCastro Street,that wasHarvey's unofficial title.

Synonyms

• (female, when distinguished):mayoress
• (head of a town):burgomaster,boroughmaster(historical, of boroughs);provost(of Scottish burghs & historical French bourgs);Lord Provost(of certain Scottish burghs);praetor(archaic)

Hyponyms

(municipal principal leader):

• mayor,lord mayor,Lord Mayor(male mayor)
• mayoress,lady mayor,Lady Mayor(female mayor)

Derived terms

• lady mayor
• lord mayor
• mayoral,mayorial
• mayoralty
• mayor-choosing
• mayor-corn
• mayor-council
• mayoress(female mayor)
• mayorhood
• mayorlet
• mayor-making
• mayor's banquet
• mayor's court
• mayor's feast
• mayorsfeud
• mayorship
• mayor's peer
• mayor-town
• mayory
• weak mayor

Descendants

• →Cebuano:mayor
• →Swahili:meya
• →Tok Pisin:meya

Translations

leader of a city

• Albanian:kryebashkiakm
• Arabic:عُمْدَةm(ʕumda)
• Armenian:քաղաքապետ(hy)(kʻaġakʻapet)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic:ܪܹܝܫ ܡܕܝܼܢ݇ܬܵܐc(rēš mdīta)
• Asturian:alcalde(ast)m,alcaldesa(ast)f
• Azerbaijani:icra hakimiyyəti başçısı(in Azerbaijan),icra başçısı,mer(az)(abroad)
• Basque:alkate,auzapez
• Bavarian:Buagamasta
• Belarusian:мэрm(mer),мэ́ркаf(mérka)
• Breton:maer(br)m
• Bulgarian:кмет(bg)m(kmet),кмети́цаf(kmetíca),градонача́лникm(gradonačálnik)(dated),градонача́лничкаf(gradonačálnička),градонача́лницаf(gradonačálnica)
• Burmese:မြို့တော်ဝန်(my)(mrui.tauwan)
• Catalan:alcalde(ca)m,alcaldessa(ca)f,batlle(ca)m,batllessa(ca)f
• Cebuano:alkalde,mayor
• Chinese:

  Cantonese:Thị trưởng／Thị trưởng(si⁵zoeng²)

  Mandarin:Thị trưởng／Thị trưởng(zh)(shìzhǎng)

• Czech:starosta(cs)m,starostkaf
• Danish:borgmester(da)c,borgmesterindec
• Dutch:burgemeester(nl)m
• Erzya:ошазор(ošazor)
• Esperanto:urbestro
• Estonian:linnapea(et)
• Faroese:borgarstjórim
• Finnish:pormestari(fi),kaupunginjohtaja(fi),määri(fi)
• French:maire(fr)m,mairesse(fr)f,bourgmestre(fr)morf(Belgium)
• Galician:alcalde(gl)m,alcaldesaf
• Georgian:მერი(ka)(meri)
• German:Bürgermeister(de)m,Bürgermeisterin(de)f
• Greek:δήμαρχος(el)morf(dímarchos),δημαρχίνα(el)f(dimarchína)(colloquial)
• Greenlandic:borgmesteri
• Hebrew:ראש עירייה \ רֹאשׁ עִירִיָּהm(rosh iriyá),רֹאשׁ עִיר(he)m(rosh ir)
• Hindi:महापौरm(mahāpaur),मेयर(hi)m(meyar)
• Hungarian:polgármester(hu),főpolgármester(hu)(that of a major city)
• Icelandic:(of a city)borgarstjórim,(of a town)bæjarstjórim
• Ido:urbestro(io)
• Ilocano:basar
• Indonesian:wali kota(id)
• Interlingua:burgomaestro
• Irish:méara(ga)m
• Italian:sindaco(it)m,sindaca(it)f,primo cittadino(it)m,prima cittadinaf
• Japanese:Thị trưởng(ja)(しちょう, shichō)
• Javanese:walikutha
• Kazakh:қалабасы(qalabasy),мэр(mér)
• Khmer:ចៅហ្វាយក្រុង(caw vaay krong)
• Korean:시장( thị trưởng )(ko)(sijang)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish:şaredar(ku)m,şaredar(ku)morf

• Kyrgyz:мэр(mer),шаарбашы(şaarbaşı)
• Lao:ນາຍົກເທສະມົນຕີ(nā nyok thē sa mon tī)
• Latvian:mērsm,mēref
• Lithuanian:merasm,merėf
• Luxembourgish:Buergermeeschter(lb)m
• Macedonian:градоначалникm(gradonačalnik),градоначалничкаf(gradonačalnička),градоначалницаf(gradonačalnica)
• Malay:datuk bandar(ms)
• Manx:meoirm
• Maori:mea
• Marathi:महापौरm(mahāpaur)
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic:хотын дарга(xotyn darga)

  Mongolian:ᠬᠣᠲᠠ ᠶᠢᠨ
  ᠳᠠᠷᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ(qota-yin darug-a)

• Norman:mairem
• Northern Sami:sátnejođiheaddji,bormeašttir(Finland)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:borgermesterm,borgermesterinnef,ordførerm,ordførerinnef

  Nynorsk:borgarmeisterm,ordførarm,ordførarinnef

• Occitan:cònsol(oc)m
• Pashto:ښاروال(ps)m(x̌ārwāl)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian:شَهْرْدار(phát)(šahrdâr)

• Polish:burmistrz(pl)m,burmistrzyni(pl)f(in small town);prezydentmiastam(in big city)
• Portuguese:prefeito(pt)m(Brazil),presidente da câmaramorf(Portugal)
• Quechua:kamachiq
• Romanian:primar(ro)m,primăreasă(ro)f,primăriță(ro)f
• Russian:мэр(ru)m(mɛr)(male or female),градонача́льник(ru)m(gradonačálʹnik),градонача́льница(ru)f(gradonačálʹnica)(dated),бургоми́стр(ru)m(burgomístr)(of some foreign countries)
• Scottish Gaelic:mèarm(mayor, generally),probhaistm(provost, as in Scotland)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:градона́челнӣкm,градона́челницаf

  Roman:gradonáčelnīk(sh)m,gradonáčelnica(sh)f

• Slovak:starostam,starostkaf
• Slovene:župan(sl)m,županjaf
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian:šołtam,šołtowkaf

  Upper Sorbian:měšćanosta

• Spanish:alcalde(es)m,alcaldesa(es)f,intendente(es)morf(Argentina,Paraguay,Uruguay),presidente municipalmorf(Mexico),regente(es)morf(Mexico City),síndico(es)m(Dominican Republic),síndicaf(Dominican Republic)
• Swahili:meya(sw)
• Swedish:borgmästare(sv)c,borgmästarinna(sv)c
• Tagalog:alkalde(tl)
• Tajik:мэр(mer),шаҳрдор(šahrdor)
• Thai:นายกเทศมนตรี(th)(naa-yók-têet-sà-mon-dtrii),นายก(th)(naa-yók)
• Turkish:belediye başkanı(tr)
• Turkmen:mer
• Ukrainian:мерm(mer),ме́ркаf(mérka)
• Urdu:رَئِیسِ بَلْدِیَہm(raīs-i baldiya),میئَرm(mear)
• Uyghur:شەھەر باشلىقى(sheher bashliqi)
• Uzbek:mer(uz)
• Venetan:prefetom,sìndico(vec)m
• Vietnamese:thị trưởng(vi)(Thị trưởng)
• Volapük:(♂♀)sifal(vo),(♂)hisifal,(♀)jisifal
• Welsh:maer(cy)m
• Yiddish:בירגערמײַסטערm(birgermayster)

References

• “mayor,n.”,inOED Online⁠,Oxford:Oxford University Press,2021.

Anagrams

• Amory,Moray,Raymo,moray

Asturian

Etymology

FromLatinmāior.

Adjective

mayor(epicene,pluralmayores)

1. old
2. older
3. (music)major

Cebuano

Etymology

Unadapted borrowingfromEnglishmayor,fromOld Frenchmaire(“head of a city or town government”),fromLatinmaior(“bigger, greater, superior”),comparative ofmagnus(“big, great”).

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation:ma‧yor
• IPA^(key):/ˈmeijoɾ/ [ˈmiɪ.oɾ̪]

Noun

mayor

1. mayor

   Synonym:alkalde

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, seeCitations:mayor.

Crimean Tatar

Etymology

FromLatinmaior(“major”).

Noun

mayor

1. major(military rank).

Declension

Declension ofmayor

nominative	mayor
genitive	mayornıñ
dative	mayorğa
accusative	mayornı
locative	mayorda
ablative	mayordan

References

• Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002)Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk‎^[1],Simferopol: Dolya,→ISBN

Indonesian

Etymology

FromDutchmajoor,fromSpanishmayor,fromLatinmaior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):[ˈmajɔr]
• Hyphenation:ma‧yor
• Rhymes:-ɔr

Noun

mayor(pluralmayor-mayor,first-person possessivemayorku,second-person possessivemayormu,third-person possessivemayornya)

1. major(military rank inIndonesian Army)
2. lieutenant commander(military rank inIndonesian Navy)
3. squadron leader(military rank inIndonesian Air Force)

Alternative forms

• mejar(Brunei,Malaysia,Singapore)

Adjective

mayor

1. major.

   Synonyms:besar,utama

   Antonym:minor

Alternative forms

• majeur(unadapted borrowing)

Related terms

• mayoritas

Further reading

• “mayor”inKamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia,Jakarta:Agency for Language Development and Cultivation–Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia,2016.

Papiamentu

Etymology

FromSpanishmayorandPortuguesemaior.

Noun

mayor

1. parent

See also

• mayó
• mayo

Adjective

mayor

1. great,major

Portuguese

Adjective

mayormorf(pluralmayores)

1. Obsoletespelling ofmaior.

Spanish

Etymology

InheritedfromLatinmaior.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/maˈʝoɾ/[maˈʝoɾ]

• IPA^(key):(everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay)/maˈʝoɾ/[maˈʝoɾ]
• IPA^(key):(Buenos Aires and environs)/maˈʃoɾ/[maˈʃoɾ]
• IPA^(key):(elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay)/maˈʒoɾ/[maˈʒoɾ]

• Audio(Bolivia):

  (file)

• Audio(Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes:-oɾ
• Syllabification:ma‧yor

Adjective

mayormorf(masculine and feminine pluralmayores)

1. comparative degreeofgrande:bigger

   Antonym:menor

2. comparative degreeofviejo:older;elder

   Antonym:menor

   mi novio esmayorque yo

   my boyfriend isolderthan me

   tengo una hermanamayor

   I've got aneldersister

3. (of a person)comparative degreeofviejo:old;at an advanced age

   Synonyms:viejo,anciano

4. of age;adult;grown-up

   Synonym:mayor de edad

   Cuando (yo) seamayorvoy a ser médico

   When I'mgrown-up,I want to be a doctor.

5. major;main

   Antonym:menor

   una preocupaciónmayor

   amajorconcern

   la plazamayor

   themainsquare

6. head;Boss
7. (music)major

   Antonym:menor

8. (as a superlative,el/la/lomayor)superlative degreeofgrande:thebiggest
9. (as a superlative)superlative degreeofviejo:theoldest
10. enhanced

Derived terms

• a mayor abundamiento
• aguas mayores
• al por mayor
• alcalde mayor
• alguacil mayor
• altar mayor
• batará mayor
• calle mayor
• Carro Mayor
• caza mayor
• cigomático mayor
• colegio mayor
• endrino mayor
• Estado Mayor
• estay mayor
• fuerza mayor
• iglesia mayor
• justicia mayor
• libro mayor
• mayor de edad
• mayor edad
• mayor postor
• mayor postora
• mayor que
• mayora
• mayormente
• oficial mayor
• ortejo mayor
• Osa Mayor
• palabras mayores
• palo mayor
• pasar a mayores
• plana mayor
• plaza mayor
• por la mayor parte
• por mayor
• sargento mayor
• vela mayor
• venta al por mayor

Noun

mayorm(pluralmayores)

1. (military)major(military rank)
2. Boss;head
3. (literary,in theplural)ancestors
4. oldperson

Derived terms

• residencia de mayores

Noun

mayorf(pluralmayores)

1. (nautical)mainsail

Further reading

• “mayor”,inDiccionario de la lengua española(in Spanish), online version 23.7,Royal Spanish Academy,2023 November 28

Sundanese

Noun

mayor

1. picnic

Tagalog

Etymology 1

BorrowedfromSpanishmayor,fromLatinmaior.Doubletofmeyorandmedyor.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog)IPA^(key):/maˈjoɾ/[mɐˈjoɾ]
• Rhymes:-oɾ
• Syllabification:ma‧yor

Adjective

mayór(Baybayin spellingᜋᜌᜓᜇ᜔)

1. main;principal

   Synonym:pangunahin

2. major

   Synonym:medyor

   1. greaterindignity,rank,importance,significance,orinterest
   2. greaterinnumber,quantity,orextent

Related terms

• alkalde mayor
• mayor de edad
• mayorya
• modo mayor
• sakristan mayor
• tambol-mayor

See also

• menor de edad

Etymology 2

Seemeyor.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog)IPA^(key):/ˈmeoɾ/[ˈmɛː.oɾ]
• Rhymes:-eoɾ

Noun

mayor(Baybayin spellingᜋᜌᜓᜇ᜔)

1. Alternative spelling ofmeyor

Further reading

• “mayor”atKWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino‎^[2],Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino,2021
• “mayor”,inPambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph,Manila,2018