chairman

1 of 2

noun

chair·​man ˈcher-mən How to pronounce chairman (audio)
plural chairmen
Synonyms of chairmannext
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 noun

chairman

2 of 2

verb

chairmaned or chairmanned; chairmaning or chairmanning

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
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
That’s somehow intensified by the fact that most of the people mentioned in the files, like Paul Weiss’ now-former chairman Brad Karp, aren’t really accused of anything specific. Ben Smith, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026 One of Herzog’s entourage, Doron Almog, chairman of the Jewish Agency, is also the subject of a formal complaint filed with the AFP by four legal groups including the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) and Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq. Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
Emmerich was promoted to chairman the following year. Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2022 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 See All Example Sentences for chairman

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chairman was circa 1643

Cite this Entry

“Chairman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chairman. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

chairman

noun
chair·​man
ˈche(ə)r-mən
ˈcha(ə)r-
chairmanship
-ˌship
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chairman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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