POTUS
POTUS (noun) means the President of the United States, referred to by the initialism of the title. Example: “POTUS is due to land at Andrews just after nine.”
How to use POTUS
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishShort for the President of the United States.
Originally staff, Secret Service and press shorthand; now widely used online, often with an edge of irony. Not used in formal address — you would never begin a letter 'Dear POTUS'.
It is pronounced as a word, POH-tuhs, not spelled out letter by letter.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ is due to land at Andrews just after nine.
Etymology
An initialism of President of the United States, from a family of abbreviations used in official and press shorthand alongside FLOTUS and SCOTUS.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for POTUS
See all rhymes for POTUS →Frequently asked questions
What do POTUS, FLOTUS and SCOTUS stand for?
POTUS is the President of the United States, FLOTUS is the First Lady of the United States, and SCOTUS is the Supreme Court of the United States. The vice president is sometimes called VPOTUS, though that one is much rarer in practice.
Is POTUS a formal title?
No. The formal style is 'the President of the United States', and in address it is 'Mr President' or 'Madam President'. POTUS is shorthand — convenient in security communications, headlines and social media, but out of place in official documents.
Does POTUS refer to the office or the person?
Usually the person currently holding it, as in 'POTUS approved the order'. It can shade into the office itself when writers talk about the powers of POTUS, but 'the presidency' is the clearer word for that.
What is the meaning of POTUS?
"POTUS" (noun) means the President of the United States, referred to by the initialism of the title.