Officeholding

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The condition or status of occupying an official or public position
2. The state of being invested with an office or official role
3. The situation of holding a recognized position of authority or responsibility

Etymology: "Officeholding" is a plain compound: "office" joined to "holding," the gerund-style noun formed from "hold." The "office" part traces back through Old French "office" to Latin "officium," meaning a duty or service, a sense that still lingers when we speak of doing someone a good office. "Holding" comes from the Old English "healdan," meaning to keep, possess, or grasp, so the word literally describes the act of keeping a position of duty. Put together, the two parts describe the state of occupying a post of public responsibility. The construction is transparent, which is why it reads so directly: a person who does the duty of an office is simply engaged in officeholding.