chairman

[chair-muhn]

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

/ 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 Note

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

Other Word Forms

• chairmanship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chairman¹

First recorded in 1645–55; chair + -man

Example Sentences

It has a unique ability to develop and launch new products rapidly while still making money supplying even the smallest brands, said Lee Kyung-soo, the company’s 79-year-old chairman and founder.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"These new tariffs will create additional headwinds for an already challenged housing market by further raising construction and renovation costs," said chairman Buddy Hughes.

Read more on BBC

It sanctioned more than 100 entities and several individuals associated with Prince, including the 38-year-old chairman and chief executive officer of the holding company, Chen Zhi, who has extensive clout in Cambodia.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In a recognition of this pressure, the company’s new chairman Albert Manifold told staff in early October that it must act with urgency to simplify its overly complex portfolio.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Avivi, a reservist brigadier general in the Israel Defense Forces, is founder and chairman of the Israel Defense and Security Forum.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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