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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan has said the agency is watching closely for signs of anticompetitive behavior. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2023 The national finance chair for Trump’s 2016 campaign, Mnuchin served as Treasury secretary for the entirety of the Republican’s administration. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023 Zodiac Ball The Children’s Oncology Support Fund hosted the inaugural Zodiac Ball on Thursday in Los Angeles, hosted by Brooke Burke alongside vice chairs for the evening Barron N. Hilton and Tessa Hilton. Kirsten Chuba, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Sep. 2023 She’s seated in a white leather chair in an empty photo studio, her legs tucked beneath her and her signature orange ’fro complementing a fluorescent-pink hoodie. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Sep. 2023 The House Oversight Committee, which Comer chairs, had previously interviewed Hunter’s ex-business partner Devon Archer, touting his testimony as the thing that would finally break the dam open. Tori Otten, The New Republic, 28 Sep. 2023 Like other college students, his nether regions were at the mercy of the unforgiving plastic chairs often found in the library and residence halls. Laurie Saloman, Verywell Health, 28 Sep. 2023 The folding chair is designed to support up to 500 pounds, and it’s made to fit two people. Casey Clark, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023 Though many of the furniture pieces, like the sofa and the yellow chair in the office, were designed by Younis and custom-made, this home isn’t precious in any way. Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023
Verb
Before dropping out, LaRose had been a prominent advocate for ERIC, and one of his top deputies chaired the organization last year. cleveland, 14 Sep. 2023 Back in Chico, Hambley now chairs the Northern Valley Harm Reduction Coalition, which Hambley helped grow in the wake of the Camp Fire, determined to continue the collective approach to harm reduction that came out of that disaster. Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023 Images of the king chairing emergency cabinet meetings were shared on social media. Claire Parker, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Sep. 2023 Facing intense pressure to reconsider the vote — and after enduring death threats — Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, the Los Angeles Democrat who chairs the Public Safety Committee, called for a new hearing on the measure, and it was promptly passed. Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023 After private deliberation, the decision was read by Brendan Kelly, the Illinois State Police director who chairs the waiver review committee. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2023 That includes talking about legislation with members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate and chairing a working group consisting of people across the country who live near active and decommissioned commercial power plants such as SONGS. Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Aug. 2023 In this festive vignette, Burnett’s Boards adds a a sweet touch to wooden dining room chairs with a small wreath and neutral ribbon. Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 18 Aug. 2023 There’s also the question mark raised by a hawkish Federal Trade Commission, chaired by Lina Khan, who’s made her aversion to tech mergers the foundation of her career. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2023 See More

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 3 Oct. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on chair

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