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.

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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

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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

Explanation

A chairman is the leader of a business meeting or group. The chairman often opens a meeting by addressing the group and explaining what the agenda will be. Charities, clubs, and the boards of companies have a chairman who acts as president or leader. The noun chairman can refer to this person, whether male or female, though sometimes a woman is called a chairwoman. These days, it's more common still to simply call her (or him) a chair. The word chairman comes from a sense of "occupying a chair of authority," while "presiding member of a corporate body" first emerged in the 18th century.

Example Sentences

Ted Pick, chairman and CEO, called it a “record quarter” for the bank.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Before entering politics, his career was focused on dealmaking at Goldman Sachs, running two central banks in Canada and England, and corporate governance in the boardrooms, including as chairman at Brookfield Asset Management.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

"Induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is music's highest honor," said the organization's chairman John Sykes.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

I wasn't quite correct there but the next best thing is having the chairman put it on.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Yu Jian, the chairman of our class, was the first one nominated.

From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang

Related Words

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