selectman

American  

[si-lekt-muhn] / sɪˈlɛkt mən /

noun

PLURAL

selectmen

1. (in most New England states) one of a board of town officers chosen to manage certain public affairs.

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selectman British  

/ sɪˈlɛktmən /

noun

1. any of the members of the local boards of most New England towns

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Etymology

Origin of selectman

1625–35, select (adj.) + -man

Example Sentences

Two months before the vote, Danville’s town attorney, Matt Serge, had advised O’Neil and the other selectmen that the vote likely wouldn’t stand.

From Seattle Times

His funeral in Greenwich, Connecticut, a town where he was once the first selectman, drew family, friends and politicians from both parties.

From Seattle Times

He was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1962 and was first selectman of Greenwich before winning seats in the U.S.

From New York Times

Days after the first wave of hotel checkouts, the town’s selectmen voted to hire a private security firm to patrol some areas where drug use had increased.

From New York Times

In Southborough, the selectman who became angry after Ms. Barron called him “a Hitler” addressed the episode at a later meeting, where he said he was “sorry that I became visibly upset with the resident.”

From New York Times