POTUS

Q: What are some other acronyms like 'POTUS'?

The oldest -OTUS ("of the United States") acronym is SCOTUS ("Supreme Court of the United States"), in use since the 1870s. POTUS ("President of the United States") is the second oldest, coming some twenty years after SCOTUS . FLOTUS ("First Lady of the United States") is another, thought to have originated in the 1980s. Less common than these, but still occasionally found, is VPOTUS ("Vice President of the United States").

Q: Is 'POTUS' always capitalized?

The most common form of the word is POTUS , although it is also found as Potus . Less common, and formerly used more frequently in the early 20th century, is potus .

Q: What is the origin of the word 'POTUS'?

POTUS is an acronym created by taking the first letter of each word in "President of the United States." According to our earliest records of its use, it came into being in the 1890s as an abbreviation used by telegraph operators. POTUS was likely based on the slightly older SCOTUS ( S upreme C ourt o f t he U nited S tates), which had been used by telegraph operators since the 1870s.

abbreviation or noun

ˈpō-təs

variants or less commonly Potus

: the president of the United States

—often used like a nickname

The Bushes held their first state dinner. POTUS served buffalo meat, wore cowboy boots and welcomed Clint Eastwood.—Newsweek

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some other acronyms like POTUS?

The oldest -OTUS ("of the United States") acronym is SCOTUS ("Supreme Court of the United States"), in use since the 1870s. POTUS ("President of the United States") is the second oldest, coming some twenty years after SCOTUS. FLOTUS ("First Lady of the United States") is another, thought to have originated in the 1980s. Less common than these, but still occasionally found, is VPOTUS ("Vice President of the United States").

Is POTUS always capitalized?

The most common form of the word is POTUS, although it is also found as Potus. Less common, and formerly used more frequently in the early 20th century, is potus.

What is the origin of the word POTUS?

POTUS is an acronym created by taking the first letter of each word in "President of the United States." According to our earliest records of its use, it came into being in the 1890s as an abbreviation used by telegraph operators. POTUS was likely based on the slightly older SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States), which had been used by telegraph operators since the 1870s.

Examples of POTUS in a Sentence

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.

Since Bill completed his term as the 42nd POTUS in 2001, the political power couple has primarily resided in a Dutch Colonial dwelling in New York’s Westchester County, secluded amongst the trees—and away from prying eyes. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026 Then again, being that Vought has been pushing his buddy POTUS to back a federal incentive since May 2025 to little success until today, let’s see what the follow through here really is before anyone starts planning the parade. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026 Williams learned of Ferguson’s snafu while in POTUS on Broadway. — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Aug. 2026 Despite Schaffer’s praise of his acting chops, Lewis doesn’t think the ex-POTUS will be rushing to add more credits to his IMDb page. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for POTUS

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of POTUS was in 1894

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“POTUS.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/POTUS. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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POTUS

abbreviation or noun

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POTUS

abbreviation or noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Examples of POTUS in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for POTUS

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to POTUS

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gist

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

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