chairperson

noun

chair·​per·​son ˈcher-ˌpər-sᵊn 

plural chairpersons or chairpeople

1

: the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or event

2

: the administrative officer of a department of instruction (as in a college)

Synonyms of chairperson

• chairman
• president
• moderator
• presider

Examples of chairperson in a Sentence

A new chairperson for the committee has not yet been appointed.

the chairperson will determine the order in which people will speak

Recent Examples on the Web

Brian Roberts, current co-CEO and chairperson of Comcast, will be involved in the leadership of both companies, while Mike Cavanagh, the other CEO, will take on leadership of NBCU. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 29 June 2026

Judy was a board chairperson of the film festival’s committee. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026

Robin Rue Simmons, chairperson for the Evanston Reparations Committee, anticipated there might be backlash against the program. — Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2026

Orange County elects a countywide chairperson for its School Board, with current board members Angie Gallo and Alicia Farrant facing off to succeed Teresa Jacobs, who is retiring at the end of her term. — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for chairperson

• layperson
• salesperson
• businessperson
• person
• worsen

Kids Definition

chairperson

noun

chair·​per·​son -ˌpər-sən 

: chair sense 2c