spokesman
Americannoun
-
a person who speaks for another or for a group.
-
a public speaker.
noun
Gender
See -man.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
Since last week, renewed US attacks have killed at least 30 people in Iran, government spokesman Fatemeh Mohajerani said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
A company spokesman said several factors contributed to Jardiance’s performance in the U.S., and that a breakdown between the price and volume effects couldn’t be provided.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The measures to be undertaken by X are "an important step in the right direction", said Thomas Regnier, the European Commission's spokesman on digital issues.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The policy is estimated to cost up to £100m and resources would be allocated to protect former politicians still active in public life, the party's home affairs spokesman said.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
“We goin back to the factory,” the spokesman for the choir, the intense lady, said angrily to Ignatius.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Iranian spokesmen laid out their counterproposal in a statement Monday morning.
From Slate ● May 11, 2026
Ms. Noem and Mr. Miller aren’t credible spokesmen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
Taliban spokesmen deny her detention is related to her work as a journalist, according to local media.
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026
"Anthony Joshua was discharged from hospital late this afternoon", spokesmen for Lagos and Ogun state governments said in a joint statement late Wednesday night.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
Meanwhile, clergymen, college presidents, and other self-appointed spokesmen for communal standards of morality seized upon the Burr-Hamilton encounter to launch a crusade against dueling throughout most of the northern states.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
