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Synonyms

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.

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

"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

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

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 longer energy prices remain elevated, the more households will need to confront tradeoffs,” said Philip N. Jefferson, vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, at a recent lecture.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Travis Stice, executive chairman of Permian driller Diamondback, sold $18.1 million in shares on March 6, his largest sale ever, VerityData said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

In March, Ives stepped down as board chairman of Eightco Holdings, a digital assets company.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Lee also is chairman of a company, BitMine Immersion Technologies, that buys Ethereum.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

“A minor inconvenience. As chairman, it is well within my powers to appoint a new trustee. Fortunately, we have a perfect candidate right here. I appoint Lady Constance Ashton.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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.