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
The Importance of Human-Centric Design Many office organizers think correctly positioning furniture around and sitting on a comfortable chair makes an office healthy. Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024 The kitchen is a very messy room, which is why Sandifer highly recommends cleaning your kitchen table and chairs after every use. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
The craft for October will be decorating pumpkins (real or artificial) chaired by Lori Kniffin and Debby Garrow. Brian Gioiele, Connecticut Post, 3 Oct. 2024 Peláez chairs the council’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee. Molly Smith, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chair 

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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chair was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chair

Cite this Entry

“Chair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chair. Accessed 15 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on chair

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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