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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
When the outdoor cooling station opened on Friday, White drove by to find no chairs for people to sit and no signage letting people know the cooling station was there. Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025 Annika Freyer has been named president of Fondation Chanel, while Elizabeth Broderick will become an independent chair of the board. Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
Verb
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, preemptively pulled his provision from the tax and spending bill on Saturday. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025 Interest rate decisions, however, are made by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), a broader panel of Fed officials chaired, but not controlled, by Powell. Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for chair

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chair. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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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