chairman

American  

[chair-muhn] / ˈtʃɛər mən /

noun

plural

chairmen

1. the presiding officer of a meeting, committee, board, etc.

2. the administrative head of a department in a high school, college, or university.

3. someone employed to carry or wheel a person in a chair.

---

verb (used with object)

chairmaned, chairmanned, chairmaning, chairmanning

1. to act as or be chairman of (a meeting, committee, etc.).

chairman British  

/ ˈtʃɛəmən /

noun

1. Also called: chairperson.   chairwoman.  a person who presides over a company's board of directors, a committee, a debate, an administrative department, etc

2. history someone who carries a sedan chair

---

Usage

Chairman can seem inappropriate when applied to a woman, while chairwoman can be offensive. Chair and chairperson can be applied to either a man or a woman; chair is generally preferred to chairperson

Gender

Is it chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson? See chairperson.

Other Word Forms

• chairmanship noun

Etymology

Origin of chairman

First recorded in 1645–55; chair + -man

Example Sentences

The 79-year-old installed himself as chairman of a hand-picked board to lead the center, originally named after president John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.

From Barron's

“Today’s executive orders get at the root of the housing affordability problem by eliminating obstacles to build more homes and providing better access to financing,” Bill Owens, the trade group’s chairman, said in a statement.

From Barron's

In 2012, Xi assumed the role of chairman of the Central Military Commission, the top-decision making body for the armed forces.

From BBC

Francis Berwick, chairman of Bravo and Peacock unscripted, said in a statement that the company will continue to distribute library episodes of its talk programs and network shows such as “Law & Order.”

From Los Angeles Times

However, at a fiery press conference, Pirro dismissed questions about whether her pursuit of the matter would delay plans to replace Powell as chairman when his term ends in May, calling the issue "white noise".

From BBC

Related Words

• administrator
• chairperson
• chairwoman
• director
• leader
• spokesman