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Synonyms

spokesman

American  
[spohks-muhn] / ˈspoʊks mən /

noun

spokesmen plural
  1. a person who speaks for another or for a group.

  2. a public speaker.


spokesman British  
/ ˈspəʊksˌpɜːsən, ˈspəʊksmən, ˈspəʊksˌwʊmən /

noun

  1. a person authorized to speak on behalf of another person, group of people, or organization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Gender

See -man.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of spokesman

1510–20; spoke 1 (irregular as noun) + 's 1 + -man

Explanation

A spokesman is a representative, someone who speaks for a group. The spokesman of your French club, for example, might announce the date of your bake sale during your school's morning announcements. You can use the noun spokesman whenever you're talking about an official speaker, a person who communicates information about a company, organization, or other group. It's most common to refer to a man in this position as a spokesman — a more inclusive term for males or females is spokesperson. Spokesman has been around since the 1500's, but spokesperson wasn't first used until the 1970's.

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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.

Spokesman Farhan Haq said Guterres will "assess the support given by the United Nations to Haiti in facing its multidimensional crisis, including the logistical and operational support to the Gang Suppression Force."

From Barron's • Jun. 16, 2026

Spokesman Kush Desai called my questions “both a stupid and out-of-touch take,” asserting that the accounts are “already shaping up to make a generational difference for working-class children.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani recently lauded the interception rate as "exceeding expectations".

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

Spokesman Manuel de Moya expressed his outrage at the vicious and unfounded accusations of President R6mulo Betancourt of Venezuela.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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