chairperson

noun

chair·​per·​son ˈcher-ˌpər-sᵊn 

plural chairpersons

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

• chair
• chairman
• moderator
• president
• presider
• prolocutor
• speaker

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

The announcement of Steiner's appointment, which drew immediate concerns from postal unions over possible efforts to privatize the USPS, was made Friday by Amber McReynolds, chairperson of the USPS' Board of Governors, during a meeting of the independent group that oversees the service. —CBS News, 9 May 2025

In 1995, American Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour—who now also serves as the Global Chief Content Officer and Artistic Director at Condé Nast, overseeing all their publications—became the Met Gala’s chairperson. —Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

The Premier League’s board, which consists of Richard Masters, the chief executive, Alison Brittain, the chairperson, and three independent non-executive directors (Mai Fyfield, Dharmash Mistry, Matthew Ryder KC), has the ultimate say. —Matt Slater, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025

Amy Lawyer, the chairperson of equine administration at the University of Louisville's business school, said some will try to wear the biggest hat possible, but lots of guests prefer something more functional. —Ayana Archie, NPR, 2 May 2025

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