chairman

American  

[chair-muhn] / ˈtʃɛər mən /

noun

plural

chairmen

1. the presiding officer of a meeting, committee, board, etc.

2. the administrative head of a department in a high school, college, or university.

3. someone employed to carry or wheel a person in a chair.

---

verb (used with object)

chairmaned, chairmanned, chairmaning, chairmanning

1. to act as or be chairman of (a meeting, committee, etc.).

chairman British  

/ ˈtʃɛəmən /

noun

1. Also called: chairperson.   chairwoman.  a person who presides over a company's board of directors, a committee, a debate, an administrative department, etc

2. history someone who carries a sedan chair

---

Usage

Chairman can seem inappropriate when applied to a woman, while chairwoman can be offensive. Chair and chairperson can be applied to either a man or a woman; chair is generally preferred to chairperson

Gender

Is it chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson? See chairperson.

Other Word Forms

• chairmanship noun

Etymology

Origin of chairman

First recorded in 1645–55; chair + -man

Example Sentences

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who appeared with Hegseth at the news conference, said that to date more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that to date more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed.

From The Wall Street Journal

The committee's chairman, Alistair Carmichael, said Defra's evidence "paints a picture of a dysfunctional system", with "unchecked meat and plant products being let in through the front door."

From BBC

New Zealand Rugby chairman David Kirk said Rennie's extensive experience had been an important factor in his appointment.

From BBC

Its chairman gets an automatic vote on the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed panel that sets interest rates.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• administrator
• chairperson
• chairwoman
• director
• leader
• spokesman