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.
“Kevin Warsh’s unimpeachable background speaks for itself,” a White House spokesman told Barron’s.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
A Ford spokesman said the company is committed to protecting its home market, adding that any deal providing a Chinese automaker with an onramp to the U.S. market would be antithetical to that approach.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
In the wake of the cancelled Independence Day events, Sylva's house in Abuja was raided by investigators, and at the time his spokesman denied the wealthy politician's involvement in the alleged plot.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
"Chinese AI models are leading the way in the open-source innovation ecosystem," National People's Congress spokesman Lou Qinjian told policymakers this month.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
"A spokesman for Franklin says he's keeping a low profile due to press harassment and unfounded accusations."
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
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.
