What does veep mean?
Veep is an informal American English noun for a vice president, especially the vice president of the United States. It is a playful reshaping of the abbreviation “VP”: the initial V and the P from “president” are retained, with an /iː/ sound bridging them. The word is common in journalism, campaign coverage, political conversation, and informal commentary, where it can sound familiar, irreverent, or even mildly dismissive. Because it is not the formal title, it normally appears in lower case and is often used alongside first names, as in “the president and the veep.” A veep may also refer to the second-ranking official in an organization, although this use is less frequent than its political sense. The expression is especially associated with U.S. usage, but English speakers elsewhere may understand it. The term is useful when a speaker wants to name the office with a brisk, conversational tone rather than use the full formal expression “vice president.” It can also distinguish the office or person in headlines and informal writing, where a shortened form saves space and creates an instantly recognizable political register.
nounAn informal name for a vice president, especially the vice president of the United States.
- An informal term for a vice president, especially the vice president of the United States.
"The president met with the veep to discuss the pending legislation."
"The veep delivered the party's keynote address at the convention."
"Several former veeps attended the presidential inauguration."
The standard plural is veeps, used when referring to multiple vice presidents or multiple holders of the office.
"Both veeps have served in the Senate."
Veep turns the political abbreviation VP into a nickname that sounds instantly informal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of veep
Veep is an informal alteration of VP, the written abbreviation for “vice president.” It emerged in 20th-century U.S. political usage as a spoken and playful contraction. Its longer forms vice-president and vice-presidential belong to the same expanded terminology, while president and presidential supply the source word represented by the P in the abbreviation.
Related word forms
How veep is actually used
Veep belongs chiefly to informal American political speech and journalism. It can sound familiar or irreverent and may carry a mildly dismissive or unserious tone. It is normally written in lower case when used generically, though a particular officeholder may be identified by name.
Easily confused with veep
VP is the standard written abbreviation for “vice president,” whereas veep is an informal spoken and written reshaping of that abbreviation.