chairman

1 of 2

noun

chair·​man ˈcher-mən 

plural chairmen

1

: a person and especially a man who serves as chairperson

the chairman of the board

the chairman of the college's English department

2

: a carrier of a sedan chair

chairmanship

ˈcher-mən-ˌship 

noun

chairman

2 of 2

verb

chairmaned or chairmanned; chairmaning or chairmanning

transitive verb

: chair sense 1

Synonyms of chairman

Noun

• chairperson
• president
• moderator
• presider

Examples of chairman in a Sentence

Noun

the chairman of the airline company

the chairman called the meeting to order

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Before the ads first began airing on television nearly three decades ago, the business largely flew under the radar, says Feldco chairman Doug Cook. — S. Sorrina Beecher, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026

Dick’s Sporting Goods chairman Ed Stack said this summer that Birkenstocks and Ugg boots have lately been hotter than casual shoes. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 12 Nov. 2026

Verb

Daniel Zhang, who had succeeded Ma as CEO and eventually chairman some years prior, unexpectedly announced plans to step down in 2023. — Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 24 Nov. 2025

The tax code gives the Ways and Means chairman the ability to request any tax returns from the Treasury Department and says that the Treasury secretary shall provide those returns. — Richard Rubin, WSJ, 15 Dec. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1873, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chairman

• airman
• chairmen
• lehrman
• cochairman

Kids Definition

chairman

noun

chair·​man

ˈche(ə)r-mən, 

ˈcha(ə)r-

: chair sense 2c

chairmanship

-ˌship

noun