spokesman
Americannoun
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spokesmen
plural
-
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:
A spokesman for Mexico’s Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian delegation will be made up of Lantratova and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian businessman close to the Kremlin who has frequently taken part in US-brokered ceasefire talks.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
“Hopefully he uses an overwhelming victory to achieve what he wants to get done in 100 days,” said Steven Maviglio, who served as a spokesman for former Gov. Gray Davis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Asked whether reports that Johnson would step aside were correct, his spokesman responded in a one-word email: "Accurate."
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
A hospital spokesman said later that it was about 3:15 p.m. when Malcolm X reached a third-floor operating room.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
In early March, the M23 announced the death of one of its spokesmen, Willy Ngoma, in a drone strike near the Rubaya mine in North Kivu province.
From Barron's ● Mar. 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
Hegseth’s press spokesmen have followed his lead, as they tend to do, for better or worse.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2025
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
