chair
Americannoun
-
chairs
plural
-
a seat, especially for one person, usually having four legs for support and a rest for the back and often having rests for the arms.
-
something that serves as a chair or supports like a chair.
The two men clasped hands to make a chair for their injured companion.
-
a seat of office or authority.
-
a position of authority, as of a judge, professor, etc.
-
the person occupying a seat of office, especially the chairperson of a meeting.
The speaker addressed the chair.
-
(in an orchestra) the position of a player, assigned by rank; desk.
first clarinet chair.
-
Informal. the chair, electric chair.
-
(in reinforced-concrete construction) a device for maintaining the position of reinforcing rods or strands during the pouring operation.
-
a glassmaker's bench having extended arms on which a blowpipe is rolled in shaping glass.
-
British Railroads. a metal block for supporting a rail and securing it to a crosstie or the like.
verb (used with object)
-
chairs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chaired,
past participle, past
-
chairing
present participle
-
to place or seat in a chair.
-
to install in office.
-
to preside over; act as chairperson of.
to chair a committee.
-
British. to carry (a hero or victor) aloft in triumph.
verb (used without object)
-
chairs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
chaired,
past participle, past
-
chairing
present participle
idioms
-
take the chair,
-
to begin or open a meeting.
-
to preside at a meeting; act as chairperson.
-
-
get the chair, to be sentenced to die in the electric chair.
noun
-
a seat with a back on which one person sits, typically having four legs and often having arms
-
an official position of authority
a chair on the board of directors
-
the person chairing a debate or meeting
the speaker addressed the chair
-
a professorship
the chair of German
-
railways an iron or steel cradle bolted to a sleeper in which the rail sits and is locked in position
-
short for sedan chair
-
chairing a debate or meeting
-
to preside as chairman for a meeting, etc
-
an informal name for electric chair
verb
-
to preside over (a meeting)
-
to carry aloft in a sitting position after a triumph or great achievement
-
to provide with a chair of office
-
to install in a chair
Gender
Is it chair, chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson? See chairperson.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
chairsimple
-
chairssimple
-
have chairedperfect
-
has chairedperfect
-
am chairingprogressive
-
are chairingprogressive
-
is chairingprogressive
-
have been chairingperfect progressive
-
has been chairingperfect progressive
Past
-
chairedsimple
-
had chairedperfect
-
was chairingprogressive
-
were chairingprogressive
-
had been chairingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of chair
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chaiere, from Old French, from Latin cathedra; see cathedra
Explanation
A chair is a seat with four legs and a back to lean against. When you invite a large group for dinner, you have to make sure you find chairs for all of your guests. As opposed to a bench, couch, or sofa, a chair usually seats one single person. You might have wooden kitchen chairs and a comfortable, upholstered chair with arms for watching TV. Another kind of chair is the leader of an organization or group, and it's also a verb meaning to lead such a group: "I've been asked to chair the monthly meetings of the stamp collectors' club." The Old French root is chaiere, "seat or throne."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Kaya, an AKP deputy chair who served as family minister from 2016 to 2018, and her husband allegedly offloaded shares before news of the scandal broke.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
The view looking out at the Pacific Ocean while sitting in a chair or hanging on the railing at the Mountain is something to cherish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
They just sat me in a single chair across the table from the rest of them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
His son Lachlan became chair of the company, which owns UK media organisations including Virgin Radio, TalkSPORT, and the newspapers the Sun and the Times.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The little boy’s mom is trying to stuff his wriggling legs into a high chair, but he arches his back and lets out a wail.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
More than 200 moms and dads filled the chairs, some of whom had traveled from as far away as Australia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
Now there should be another: while the lawyers argue the case in federal court, the rest of the White House press corps should make sure the chairs in the briefing room are empty.
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026
His cramped work space, about 90 feet from the field, has enough room for two green vinyl chairs, though Araujo prefers to stand when he’s working.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
It functioned as a musical chairs of sorts, in which the contestants switched partners until the music was paused, and a couple was announced.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
He took the Post-it note from Jonah’s hand and walked to the other side of the basement, where couches and chairs clustered around a huge entertainment center.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
On the City Council, she passed significant legislation around tenants’ rights and rent stabilization and chaired the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee starting in 2023, but lost that position in a council shakeup this summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
He worked some in the public sector, winning a seat as a county commissioner in Omaha in the late 1980s, and he chaired the state ethanol board.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
At the time, Keep Florida Clean was chaired by James Uthmeier, then DeSantis’ chief of staff and now Florida’s attorney general.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
The decisions were taken at an extraordinary meeting of the CCM, chaired by President Samia.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
General Russell sat at the head of the table, a tall, tough-looking figure in uniform; he chaired the meeting.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Fox’s own Washington bureau chief, Bryan Boughton, who happened to be chairing the pool this week, sent the note announcing the shutdown.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
"We are preparing in advance, not waiting for a crisis," said Chouhan, after chairing a meeting on the issue last week.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
As host, Macron was officially chairing the summit but Trump left no doubt over who he believed was in charge.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Later this week, Kevin Warsh will be chairing his first Federal Reserve meeting, where the central bank is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
In the days leading up to the charrette, Durham’s two white newspapers also featured several in-depth stories about the event, many of them focusing on the odd couple chairing it.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
