chairman
Americannoun
plural
chairmen-
the presiding officer of a meeting, committee, board, etc.
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the administrative head of a department in a high school, college, or university.
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someone employed to carry or wheel a person in a chair.
verb (used with object)
noun
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Also called: chairperson. chairwoman. a person who presides over a company's board of directors, a committee, a debate, an administrative department, etc
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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
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.
The U.S. expects additional losses, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference Monday.
From Los Angeles Times
The explicit aim of this was to "daze and confuse" the Iranians, said Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a Monday briefing.
From BBC
Caden’s father, Steve, is the global chairman and chief executive of Allied Universal, the private security provider for many Fortune 500 companies, and he oversees the third-largest private employer in North America.
From Los Angeles Times
Ipsa chairman Richard Lloyd said the role of an MP had "evolved", with parliamentarians "dealing with higher levels of complex casework, and abuse and intimidation".
From BBC
He has previously said as a vice chairman in charge of Berkshire’s noninsurance operations that he is more hands-on than his predecessor.
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.
