chairman

[chair-muhn]

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

/ 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 Note

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

Other Word Forms

• chairmanship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chairman¹

First recorded in 1645–55; chair + -man

Example Sentences

He announced the setting up of a new department to prepare for government, with former Reform chairman Zia Yusuf as head of policy.

From BBC

He won fans across the capital when he led the campaign to save Hearts Football Club from administration as the chairman of the supporters group.

From BBC

Tottenham Hotspur's executive chairman Daniel Levy - who has "stepped down" after almost 25 years - will always be regarded as one of the most contentious figures in their history.

From BBC

Tottenham executive chairman Daniel Levy has stepped down from his role after 24 years at the helm of the club.

From BBC

ACE chairman Charles Rivkin said it was a "resounding victory in its fight to detect, deter, and dismantle criminal perpetrators of digital piracy".

From BBC

Related Words

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