chair

1 of 2

noun

plural chairs
1
a
: a seat typically having four legs and a back for one person
b
: electric chair
used with the
2
a
: an official seat or a seat of authority, state, or dignity
b
: an office or position of authority or dignity
c
: professorship
holds a university chair
d
: chairperson sense 1
was appointed chair of the committee
3
: a position of employment usually of one occupying a chair or desk
specifically : the position of a player in an orchestra or band
4
: any of various devices that hold up or support
5

chair

2 of 2

verb

chaired; chairing; chairs

transitive verb

1
: to preside as chairperson of
chaired a commission
2
: to install in office
3
chiefly British : to carry on the shoulders in acclaim
we chaired you through the market placeA. E. Housman

Examples of chair in a Sentence

Noun a chair by the window We'll need a table and four chairs for the dining room. He is now chair of the English department. She's chair of the school board this year. Address any questions to the committee chair. a murderer who was sentenced to the chair Verb He's been chosen to chair the task force on school violence.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In a letter to FCC chair Rosenworcel this week, a group of Republican lawmakers said the draft order to restore net neutrality regulations would chill innovation and investment in the broadband industry. Emma Bowman, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024 Her husband is a former chair of the California Republican Party. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024 The filmmaker has long supported President Biden, and Spielberg’s friend and former DreamWorks business partner Jeffrey Katzenberg is now a chair of the Biden campaign. Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Apr. 2024 Jessica Rosenworcel, chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The Federal Communications Commission has voted—once again—to assert its power to oversee and regulate the activities of the broadband industry in the United States. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 25 Apr. 2024 Phillips, the former chair of the Talenti gelato empire, suspended his longshot bid against Biden in early March after suffering a string of double-digit defeats. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024 Some senators, including powerful committee chairs like Maria Cantwell, a Democrat of Washington, and Mr. Warner, considered changes to the bill in a process that could significantly slow it down. Cecilia Kang, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2024 Moise, who was recently appointed as the museum’s first Haitian-American board chair, thanked Wilson for her support. Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024 Its next stop is in the Senate judiciary committee, which Umberg chairs, on April 23. Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 14 Apr. 2024
Verb
Councilmember Kent Lee, who chairs the land use and housing committee that had been scheduled to consider the public investment this coming Thursday, commended the mayor’s effort to expand the city’s shelter capacity. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024 Cantwell chairs the Senate Commerce Committee while McMorris Rodgers leads the House Energy and Commerce Committee. David Klepper, Quartz, 7 Apr. 2024 Myriad state and local jurisdictions oversee building regulations and choose which standards to adopt for their communities, noted Emily Guglielmo, who chairs the engineering society’s seismic committee overseeing standards for new buildings. Lewis Kamb, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024 In a letter released Thursday, the Elders, a group of 12 global rights leaders chaired by former U.N. high commissioner for human rights Mary Robinson, said the United States should spearhead an arms embargo. Cate Brown, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024 The committee, chaired by Rep. Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), wants to understand how happiness could be used as a metric to shape public policy in the Golden State. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024 The board, made up of government and industry experts, is chaired by Robert Silvers, the Department of Homeland Security’s undersecretary for policy. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024 During a meeting of Senate Republicans before the debate, Sen. Molly Baumgardner, a Louisburg Republican who chairs the Senate Education Committee, asked rhetorically why people come to the Legislature for action. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2024 The Resolution Foundation, which studies the lives of people with low and middle incomes, is chaired by David Willetts, a former minister in Cameron’s government. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chaiere, from Anglo-French, from Latin cathedra, from Greek kathedra, from kata- cata- + hedra seat — more at sit

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of chair was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near chair

Cite this Entry

“Chair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chair. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

chair

noun
ˈche(ə)r,
ˈcha(ə)r
1
: a seat with legs and a back for use by one person
2
a
: an official seat or a seat of authority or honor
b
: an office or position of authority or honor
c
: an official who conducts a meeting

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