Definition

A person who has been elected or appointed to a position in government or an organization.

Example

The officeholder was responsible for making important decisions for the community.

Conversation

Have you heard about the new officeholder in our town?

Yeah, I read about them in the news yesterday.

I wonder how their policies will affect us.

It'll be interesting to see if they actually make any changes.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Officeholder → It is formed from "office" (from Old French *office*, meaning a duty or service) and "holder" (from Old English *holdan*, meaning to keep or possess). An officeholder is someone who possesses a position of duty or service.

Memory Tip

Think of someone who 'holds' a 'duty' or 'service' — that's what an officeholder does.

Visually Confused Words