saleswoman
Americannoun
-
saleswomen
plural
Usage
What does saleswoman mean? A saleswoman is a woman whose job is to sell products or services. The plural of saleswoman is saleswomen. A less common term for saleswoman is saleslady. The equivalent term for a man is salesman. Both salesman and saleswoman are commonly used, but salesperson and sales rep (or sales representative) are often used in their place. A saleswoman is often said to “work in sales”—in which sales refers to the type of occupation or the division or department within a company. A saleswoman can sell directly to customers or to other businesses or organizations. Sometimes, saleswomen sell things in person, such as at a retail store or dealership. They also commonly sell things over the phone or by communicating with people online. In the past, it was common for some salespeople to travel door-to-door to make sales to people at home, leading to the term door-to-door salesman and, less commonly, door-to-door saleswoman. A saleswoman who has to travel as part of her job can be called a traveling saleswoman. The word saleswoman is sometimes used in a somewhat figurative way to refer to a woman who’s skilled at persuading people, especially in a business or professional setting, as if they are selling them a product. This skill or quality can be called saleswomanship, but the term salesmanship is much more common and is often applied regardless of gender. Example: The saleswoman told me that this was the best deal she could give me.
Gender
See -woman.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of saleswoman
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 are listening to the people’s demands,” a saleswoman told North Korea’s state broadcaster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
She spends weekends as a saleswoman in the Coche Market, offering her services at various food stands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
"Even if I had the money, I don't think I'd want to rebuild in Altadena, because it's just a sad place right now," the former saleswoman said.
From Barron's ● Jan. 4, 2026
The saleswoman said she thought a few small items, like our Herend China and Lalique crystal glassware, might sell if we took them to local antique shops.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025
Miranda smiled, but her mouth was obscured by a large brush that the saleswoman was sweeping over her face.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
In contrast with mass-market chains that have been cutting staff, Artizia relies on attentive saleswomen the retailer calls “style advisers” to help customers curate outfits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
That included working as semi-skilled operatives, teachers and saleswomen — just to name a few common occupations at the time.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2023
Similar benefits accrued to long-term hotel guests further down the income ladder, whether they were unmarried clerks and saleswomen or sailors and transient workers just passing through.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2022
Then some of those ladies complained about being harassed by pesky real estate saleswomen.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2022
A group of girls were standing about May’s table, admiring the pretty things, and talking over the change of saleswomen.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
