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.
“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Spokesman Davis Ingle told the BBC at the time that "any implication that Administration officials are engaged in such activity without evidence is baseless and irresponsible reporting".
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani recently lauded the interception rate as "exceeding expectations".
From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026
Spokesman Michael Soller said “about 2,000” consumer complaints have been filed related to the L.A. wildfires, and said the department’s complaint unit has recovered $210 million that policyholders might otherwise not have received.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026
Spokesman Manuel de Moya expressed his outrage at the vicious and unfounded accusations of President R6mulo Betancourt of Venezuela.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
