chairman

American  

[chair-muhn] / ˈtʃɛər mən /

noun

chairmen plural

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.

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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

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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

Derived Forms

• chairmanship
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• chairmen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chairman

First recorded in 1645–55; chair + -man

Explanation

A chairman is the leader of a business meeting or group. The chairman often opens a meeting by addressing the group and explaining what the agenda will be. Charities, clubs, and the boards of companies have a chairman who acts as president or leader. The noun chairman can refer to this person, whether male or female, though sometimes a woman is called a chairwoman. These days, it's more common still to simply call her (or him) a chair. The word chairman comes from a sense of "occupying a chair of authority," while "presiding member of a corporate body" first emerged in the 18th century.

Example Sentences

As their planes were taxiing, Trump announced that he would nominate Jay Clayton, a U.S. attorney and former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, to the position permanently.

From Slate • Jun. 13, 2026

Nigel Wood, chairman of the Rugby Football League, said: "Neil's astonishing feats, largely with the glorious Wakefield Trinity side of the 1960s, have stood the test of time in rugby league."

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

This week, Barry Ritholtz, chairman, and chief investment officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management, on the end of earnings season.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

Dana Chairman R. Bruce McDonald is slated to serve as executive chairman of the combined company, responsible for integration and synergy realizations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

So did the chairman, from behind his bandit’s kerchief.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

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