chair
Americannoun
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chairs
plural
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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.
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something that serves as a chair or supports like a chair.
The two men clasped hands to make a chair for their injured companion.
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a seat of office or authority.
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a position of authority, as of a judge, professor, etc.
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the person occupying a seat of office, especially the chairperson of a meeting.
The speaker addressed the chair.
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(in an orchestra) the position of a player, assigned by rank; desk.
first clarinet chair.
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Informal. the chair, electric chair.
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(in reinforced-concrete construction) a device for maintaining the position of reinforcing rods or strands during the pouring operation.
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a glassmaker's bench having extended arms on which a blowpipe is rolled in shaping glass.
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British Railroads. a metal block for supporting a rail and securing it to a crosstie or the like.
verb (used with object)
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chairs,
present (3rd person singular)
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chaired,
past participle, past
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chairing
present participle
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to place or seat in a chair.
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to install in office.
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to preside over; act as chairperson of.
to chair a committee.
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British. to carry (a hero or victor) aloft in triumph.
verb (used without object)
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chairs,
present (3rd person singular)
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chaired,
past participle, past
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chairing
present participle
idioms
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take the chair,
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to begin or open a meeting.
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to preside at a meeting; act as chairperson.
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get the chair, to be sentenced to die in the electric chair.
noun
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a seat with a back on which one person sits, typically having four legs and often having arms
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an official position of authority
a chair on the board of directors
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the person chairing a debate or meeting
the speaker addressed the chair
-
a professorship
the chair of German
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railways an iron or steel cradle bolted to a sleeper in which the rail sits and is locked in position
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short for sedan chair
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chairing a debate or meeting
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to preside as chairman for a meeting, etc
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an informal name for electric chair
verb
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to preside over (a meeting)
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to carry aloft in a sitting position after a triumph or great achievement
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to provide with a chair of office
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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
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chairsimple
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chairssimple
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have chairedperfect
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has chairedperfect
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am chairingprogressive
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are chairingprogressive
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is chairingprogressive
-
have been chairingperfect progressive
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has been chairingperfect progressive
Past
-
chairedsimple
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had chairedperfect
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was chairingprogressive
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were chairingprogressive
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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:
"We need an initiative like this now more than ever," said Diane Hill, chair of the Gloucestershire Nature and Climate Fund.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
David Owen, chair of trustees at The Summerfield Charitable Trust, said the initiative "has the potential to create a lasting legacy for nature, communities and future generations across Gloucestershire".
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
The chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has also said that he plans to direct agency staff to propose and codify rules for digital assets using the agency’s existing authorities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
The activist investor called on the company to replace its CEO, appoint a new board chair, engage with potential buyers of the contact-lens business, and consider selling its fertility and medical-device assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
“I’ll just sit here for a while,” Gingersnipes said, looking quite cozy in Clare’s oversized chair.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
A circle of nine stately wood chairs on a bare stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
ITV also confirmed earlier reports that singer Cheryl and rapper Aitch will join the The Voice as coaches, sitting in the show's famous giant red chairs.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
He also chairs a publicly listed specialty insurance company, Ategrity, in which his stake tops $1 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
One warning from experience: the folding chairs in the igloo were deeply uncomfortable, so ask if they can bring you one from inside.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Boxes were being shoved downstairs, chairs thumped on the floor.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
She chaired the Congressional Black Caucus and helped secure Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
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
Investors include private equity giant Blackstone, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and a venture capital fund chaired by former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
The decisions were taken at an extraordinary meeting of the CCM, chaired by President Samia.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
He also chaired the Science Advisory Committee of the Office of Defense Mobilization, a successor to the technology committees organized by Vannevar Bush during the war.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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
And there was an incident this week while McConnell was chairing his defense appropriations subcommittee hearing.
From Slate ● May 16, 2026
Josh Newman, 61, has been a state senator, including chairing the education committee, and a technology company executive.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 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.
