Is “President” Capitalized? When & When Not To Capitalize It

There are a lot of rules when it comes to grammar, and sometimes it can be difficult to remember them all. One often debated rule is when to capitalize the word “president.” Is “president” capitalized? You will be surprised how this word might stress you when you are writing since you are not certain if to capitalize or not.

“President” is a job title like any other, and that means you need to capitalize it based on the context. You do not have to capitalize the word. You might feel that you need to capitalize the word out of respect for the title. But that has nothing to do with its proper writing in English.

President is an important job title but always stick to English writing rules not to open doors for rampant capitalization as everyone will demand their job title be capitalized. So, to avoid unnecessary commotion, you can read the rules of capitalizing the word “president” presented in this article.

Rules for Capitalizing “President?” When to Capitalize

The decision to capitalize or not capitalize the word “president” depends on the context. Capitalize the word if it appears before a name, when starting sentences, in titles, or when you are being specific to someone who is the president.

The English language has many capitalization rules that apply in different situations. Find out more on when you need to capitalize the word president below.

(Also, click the link to learn more about capitalizing job titles.)

Before a Personal Name

One of the times to capitalize the word “president” is when the word comes before a person’s name. The reason is names are proper nouns, and when you use the word “president,” it complements the noun.

“President” follows the capitalization rules as other job titles. So the same rules that you apply when writing someone’s rank or job also apply when writing “president.” And the rule is that you should capitalize the job position if it comes before a person’s name.

Example sentences:

• I wonder what was happening to America before the swearing of President George Washington in 1789.
• Did anyone ever go down for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy?
• Has President Xi Jinping made any statement about the pandemic and the precaution measure that China has put in place?

At the Start of a Sentence

Another time to capitalize the word “president” is if the word is starting a sentence. The capitalization rule that does not change is each time you start a sentence, you need to capitalize the first letter of the beginning word.

The same case applies when you are writing the word “president.” Not capitalizing the word “president” when it starts a sentence is a major grammatical mistake you shouldn’t commit.

Example in sentences:

• President or no president, he had no right to force his rule on everyone.
• President is a strange name for a movie title.
• President is the only English word she knows.

When Writing a Title

Are you writing a title with the word “president?” if that is the case, then you need to capitalize the word no matter the part of speech present in the title.

According to the title capitalization, both common and proper nouns should be written in uppercase when in a sentence. This rule also applies when you write the word “president.” This is another grammar rule that does not change regardless of the writing style that you are using

Example sentences:

• What do you think of the film “The President Plane Is Missing”?
• If you are such a fan of reggae music, then tell me who sang the song “President Mashup.”
• Everyone is talking about the film “The Death of a President,” but I have never watched it.

When Referring to a Specific President

At times you might use “president” when referring to a specific person. In such a situation, the word is not a common noun but a proper noun. It refers to a particular person, and it is not used for general purposes.

Note that the word “president” does not only have to be used to mean the head of a republic. It can also mean a chief officer of an organization. Each time you use the word to refer to a specific person, whether in schools, organizations, institutions, or nations, you will need to capitalize. This should always be the case, even if you do not include a person’s name.

Example sentences:

• These anxiety pills belong to the President; he takes them each time he makes a speech.
• Does the President have something to say in the meeting?
• What time did the President say he would arrive for the party launch?

Exceptions for Capitalizing “President” When Not to Capitalize

President is the title of the head of state in most democratic nations where elections are held. However, some cases where presidents’ titles should not be capitalized. When referring to the president as a political party or an institution, it should not be capitalized.

Example sentences: 

• The Republican Party’s nominee for president.
• The Democratic National Committee has yet to pick a president.

Also, do not capitalize the word “president” when you use it to describe a job description. It is because when writing such descriptions, you’ll most often use the word as a common noun.

Since common nouns are not capitalized in a sentence, apply the same rule when writing “president.” That applies in all writing guides and does not change.

Example sentences:

• The president must have done a great job in managing the previous employees.
• The school president is not expected to be mean and inconsiderate.

Some Edge Cases and More Alternative Rules When Capitalizing President

When writing a job title where you address someone by using their job title instead of using their name, the English rule is that you need to capitalize the word. Each time you address someone with their name, the title you use becomes a proper noun.

Simply, the edge case alternative of when you should capitalize the word “president” is; when you use the word to address a president directly but don’t want to use the word alone.

Example sentences:

• When should we have the meeting, Mr. President?
• Is it okay, Dear President, if I went home early today?
• I heard that you had requested my presence, Your Excellency the President, is there anything you need?

10 Example Sentences with Correct Capitalization of President

Unless you learn from multiple examples, you’re likely to have problems capitalizing the word “president.” You have known this word since you were in elementary, and you don’t have to get it wrong. Learn from these examples:

1. Nobody understands why Steve resigned as the President.
2. President is not a good title for the song; if you want to attract a large audience, you need a creative title.
3. Is Justin Pierre the President of Canada?
4. My research is about President John Tyler, yet I do not seem to get much information about him.
5. We have asked for a meeting with the President.
6. His inspiration since he was a little boy was to be the President of his father’s company.
7. Next week the American President will be traveling to Asia.
8. My friend Julie is planning to be the President of their company in two years,
9. The students demanded a female and male President, but the administration rejected their request.
10. I have written a book titled” When the President is Late,” and you should take time to read it.

Conclusion

The debate over whether the word “president” should be capitalized has been ongoing for a long time. But the grammar rules dictate that the word should not be capitalized all the time. So, adhere to the grammar rule when writing “president.”