at the pleasure of (someone)
idiom
—used to say that something is done or can be done because someone wants it to be done
I serve at the pleasure of the president, and I will continue to serve as long as the president wants me to.
Examples of at the pleasure of (someone) in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Policy And Politics Of Regulation Unlike Cabinet positions, which serve at the pleasure of the president, agencies like the SEC are independent by design, meaning their leadership is not supposed to shift with every administration.
—
Tonya M. Evans, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Ultimately these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
What's inside: Norris, who makes just over $274,000 a year, serves at the pleasure of supervisors and can be terminated for any reason at any time, according to the contract.
—Jason Clayworth, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025
Although religious order clergy serve at the pleasure of the bishop, the archdiocese has said religious order clergy aren’t accountable to them.
—Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for at the pleasure of (someone)
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Tonya M. Evans, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Ultimately these inspectors general serve at the pleasure of the president.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
What's inside: Norris, who makes just over $274,000 a year, serves at the pleasure of supervisors and can be terminated for any reason at any time, according to the contract.
—Jason Clayworth, Axios, 16 Jan. 2025
Although religious order clergy serve at the pleasure of the bishop, the archdiocese has said religious order clergy aren’t accountable to them.
—Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Robert Herguth, Chicago Sun-Times, Journal Sentinel, 12 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for at the pleasure of (someone)
Cite this Entry
“At the pleasure of (someone).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20the%20pleasure%20of%20%28someone%29. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share