spokesman
Americannoun
plural
spokesmen-
a person who speaks for another or for a group.
-
a public speaker.
noun
Gender
See -man.
Etymology
Origin of spokesman
Explanation
A spokesman is a representative, someone who speaks for a group. The spokesman of your French club, for example, might announce the date of your bake sale during your school's morning announcements. You can use the noun spokesman whenever you're talking about an official speaker, a person who communicates information about a company, organization, or other group. It's most common to refer to a man in this position as a spokesman — a more inclusive term for males or females is spokesperson. Spokesman has been around since the 1500's, but spokesperson wasn't first used until the 1970's.
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.
A FirstNet Authority spokesman said the standards represent minimum requirements, and in practice the network operates above those levels.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
A spokesman for United said the airline is reviewing the FAA’s order.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
In a statement, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said people released under the home curfew scheme "faces strict licence conditions and must be tagged".
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
“We are currently gathering details on this incident,” said school police spokesman Jorge Herrera.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
A Government spokesman predicted a poor planting season because of all the rain.
From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
