# 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; from Middle English maire, from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”) (13th century), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”). Doublet of major. Displaced Old English burgealdor.

### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /ˈmɛə/, (uncommon) /ˈmeɪ.ə/
* (General American) IPA: /ˈmeɪ.əɹ/, /ˈmɛɹ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Homophone: mare (monosyllabic form)
* Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ), -eɪə(ɹ)

### Noun

mayor (plural mayors)
* The chief executive of the municipal government of a city, borough, etc., formerly (historical) usually appointed as a caretaker by European royal courts but now usually appointed or elected locally.
** 1907 Sept. 12, The Nation, page 222:The office of mayor has 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 a mayor of a city instead.
** 1988, John B. Judis, William F. Buckley Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives, page p. 291:While Buckley would later privately describe Chicago's Mayor Daley as a Fascist, he was not willing to let Vidal use the police to vindicate the demonstrators, who, in Buckley's mind, had provoked much of the violence.
** 1993 Dec. 16, Bill Oakley et al., “"$pringfield"”, in The Simpsons, season 5, episode 10:Quimby: I propose that I use what's left of the town treasury to move to a more prosperous town and run for mayor and once selected I will send for the rest of you. All: Boo!
** 2006, Ed Burns et al., “"Soft Eyes"”, in The Wire, season 4, episode 2:Carver: What the hell d'you say to him? Hauk: I said "Mr Mayor that's a good strong dick you've got there and I see you know how to use it." I didn't say shit!
* (historical) Short for mayor of the palace, the royal stewards of the Frankish Empire.
* (historical) Synonym of mair, various former officials in the Kingdom of Scotland.
* (Ireland, rare, obsolete) A member of a city council.
* (historical, obsolete) A high justice, an important judge.
* (chiefly US) A largely ceremonial position in some municipal governments that presides over the city council while a contracted city manager holds actual executive power.
* (figurative, humorous) A local VIP, a muckamuck or big shot reckoned to lead some local group.
** 1902 May 22, Westminster Gazette, p. 2:
    In some parts the burlesque civic official was designated ‘Mayor of the Pig Market’.
** 1982, Randy Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street:
    The Mayor of Castro Street, that was Harvey'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
* mayoralty
* mayor-choosing
* mayor-corn
* mayor-council
* mayoress
* mayorhood
* mayorial
* 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
### References

* “mayor, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2021.

### Anagrams

* Amory, Moray, Raymo, moray

## Asturian
### Etymology

From Latin māior.

### Adjective

mayor (epicene, plural mayores)
* old
* older
* (music) major

## Cebuano
### Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English mayor, from Old French maire (“head of a city or town government”), from Latin maior (“bigger, greater, superior”), comparative of magnus (“big, great”).

### Pronunciation

* Hyphenation: ma‧yor
* IPA: /ˈmeijoɾ/ [ˈmiɪ.oɾ̪]
* This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

### Noun

mayor
* mayor
    Synonym: alkalde

#### Quotations

* For quotations using this term, see Citations:mayor.

## Crimean Tatar
### Etymology

From Latin maior (“major”).

### Noun

mayor
* major (military rank).

#### Declension
### References

* Mirjejev, V. A., Usejinov, S. M. (2002) Ukrajinsʹko-krymsʹkotatarsʹkyj slovnyk [Ukrainian – Crimean Tatar Dictionary]‎, Simferopol: Dolya, →ISBN

## Indonesian
### Etymology

From Dutch majoor, from Spanish mayor, from Latin maior.

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Indonesian) IPA: /ˈmajor/ [ˈma.jor]
* Rhymes: -ajor
* Syllabification: ma‧yor

### Noun

mayor (plural mayor-mayor)
* major (military rank in Indonesian Army)
* lieutenant commander (military rank in Indonesian Navy)
* squadron leader (military rank in Indonesian Air Force)

#### Alternative forms

* mejar (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

### Adjective

mayor
* major
    Synonyms: besar, utama
    Antonym: minor

#### Related terms

* mayoritas

### Further reading

* “mayor” in Kamus 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

From Spanish mayor and Portuguese maior.

### Noun

mayor
* parent

#### See also

* mayó
* mayo

### Adjective

mayor
* great, major

## Portuguese
### Adjective

mayor m or f (plural mayores)
* Obsolete spelling of maior.

## Spanish
### Etymology

Inherited from Latin maior.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /maˈʝoɾ/ [maˈʝoɾ]
* IPA: (everywhere but Argentina and Uruguay) /maˈʝoɾ/ [maˈʝoɾ]
* IPA: (Buenos Aires and environs) /maˈʃoɾ/ [maˈʃoɾ]
* IPA: (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /maˈʒoɾ/ [maˈʒoɾ]
* Audio (Bolivia):(file)
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -oɾ
* Syllabification: ma‧yor

### Adjective

mayor m or f (masculine and feminine plural mayores)
* comparative degree of grande: bigger
    Antonym: menor
* comparative degree of viejo: older; elder
    Antonym: menor
    mi novio es mayor que yomy boyfriend is older than me
    tengo una hermana mayorI've got an elder sister
* (of a person) comparative degree of viejo: old; at an advanced age
    Synonyms: viejo, anciano
* of age; adult; grown-up
    Synonym: mayor de edad
    Cuando (yo) sea mayor voy a ser médicoWhen I'm grown-up, I want to be a doctor.
* major; main
    Antonym: menor
    una preocupación mayora major concern
    la plaza mayorthe main square
* head; boss
* (music) major
    Antonym: menor
* (as a superlative, el/la/lo mayor) superlative degree of grande: the biggest
* (as a superlative) superlative degree of viejo: the oldest
* enhanced

#### Derived terms

* a mayor abundamiento
* adulto mayor
* 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
* labios mayores
* 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

mayor m (plural mayores)
* (military) major (military rank)
* boss; head
* (literary, in the plural) ancestors
* old person

#### Derived terms

* residencia de mayores

### Noun

mayor f (plural mayores)
* (nautical) mainsail

### Further reading

* “mayor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Sundanese
### Noun

mayor
* picnic

## Tagalog
### Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish mayor, from Latin maior. Doublet of meyor and medyor.

#### Pronunciation

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

#### Adjective

mayór (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜌᜓᜇ᜔)
* main; principal
    Synonym: pangunahin
* major
    Synonym: medyor
** greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest
** greater in number, quantity, or extent

##### Related terms

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

##### See also

* menor de edad

### Etymology 2

See meyor.

#### Pronunciation

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

#### Noun

mayor (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜌᜓᜇ᜔)
* Alternative spelling of meyor

### Further reading

* “mayor”, in KWF Diksiyonaryo ng Wikang Filipino, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, 2024
* “mayor”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018