Prefix · substitute / second in rank
Signals the person who holds second rank or can act in place of the first: vice-president, viceroy.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Vice- comes from Latin "vice" (in the place of, in substitution of) and signals whoever holds second rank or can act in place of the principal holder: vice-president = the person holding second rank after the president, who can substitute if needed; viceroy = one who governs in the name of the king; vice-chancellor = second in rank to a university chancellor; vice-admiral = a naval officer of second rank.
In modern English, vice- is widely used in corporate, governmental, and academic hierarchies: vice-CEO, vice-chairman, vice-captain. In English, "vice" also exists as a noun with a completely different meaning: "vice" = a bad habit or moral failing. Context determines which meaning is intended: the prefix always takes a hyphen, while the noun stands alone.
Attaches to titles and positions. Identical in Spanish and English:
Pronunciation: /vaɪs/. Identical in Spanish and English. Always written with a hyphen. Not to be confused with "vice" (noun) = a bad habit or moral failing.
vice-/vaɪs/
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In English, "vice" as a noun means a bad habit or moral fault: "Smoking is his only vice." As a prefix (always hyphenated): "vice-president" = second in rank. Context and sentence position make the difference clear.
"Viceroy" comes from vice- (in place of) + "roi" (Old French for king, from Latin "rex"). A viceroy governed a colony or province on behalf of a king. The viceroys of Latin America represented the Spanish Crown.
A trick to remember it
Vice- = "vice-" in Spanish: vice-president = vicepresidente, viceroy = virrey, vice-chancellor = vicerrector. Always hyphenated in English. It signals the second in rank who can substitute for the first. Warning: "vice" alone in English = a bad habit (completely different meaning).
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The ___ of India governed the subcontinent on behalf of the British Crown during the colonial period."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the difference between "vice-" (prefix) and "vice" (noun) in English?
The prefix vice- signals the person who holds second rank or can act in place of the first: vice-president, viceroy. In Spanish it usually maps to vice-.
The prefix vice- is pronounced /vaɪs/. For example, "vice-president".
"president" becomes "vice-president". It is a typical example of the vice- prefix.
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