chairperson

noun

chair·​per·​son ˈcher-ˌpər-sᵊn 

plural chairpersons or chairpeople

1

: the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or event

2

: the administrative officer of a department of instruction (as in a college)

Synonyms of chairperson

• chairman
• president
• moderator
• presider

Examples of chairperson in a Sentence

A new chairperson for the committee has not yet been appointed.

the chairperson will determine the order in which people will speak

Recent Examples on the Web

Franklin Myers, chairperson of the company’s board since 2019, was appointed interim CEO of the company. —Fortune Editors, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2026

First, Amy Pascal, my co-chairperson at Sony, and Stacey Snider, the chairwoman at Universal Studios, while friends, had a 20-year rivalry. —Pat Saperstein, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026

Chantella Mitchell, a program director at the nonprofit New York Community Trust, will serve as board chairperson, Mamdani announced. —Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026

The Antioch City Council unanimously voted to reappoint Porshe Taylor, the commission’s former chairperson, to a three-year term that expires in 2028. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for chairperson

• layperson
• salesperson
• businessperson
• person
• worsen

Kids Definition

chairperson

noun

chair·​per·​son -ˌpər-sən 

: chair sense 2c