noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/pɹɪˈsɪdi.əm/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P R IH0 S IH1 D IY0 AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A permanent executive committee, used primarily in Communist countries, with the power to act for a larger governing body when the latter is in recess.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Such an executive committee headed by the President of the Supreme Soviet.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a permanent executive committee in socialist countries that has all the powers of some larger legislative body and that acts for it when it is not in session
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: praesidium
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: committee, commission
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Russian прези́диум (prezídium), from Latin praesidium. Doublet of praesidium and presidio.
Across languages
Translations
49 source translations are retained for this English entry.