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

Pritzker is keeping his leadership position at the Pritzker Organization, a family investment firm where he is executive chairman, his spokesman said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Lately, they have ranged from the potential scaling back of steel tariffs to the appointment of a new Federal Reserve chairman.

From The Wall Street Journal

Karp’s abrupt resignation as chairman prompted some Goldman board members to ask more questions about the potential risk to the firm of keeping Ruemmler.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We must resolutely prevent drastic market fluctuations and actively guide long-term and rational investment,” Wu Qing, the chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, said in a speech last month.

From The Wall Street Journal

The committee organizing the games earlier this week voted unanimously to keep Wasserman as chairman, according to people familiar with the situation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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