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foreman

noun
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fore·​man | \ ˈfȯr-mən How to pronounce foreman (audio) \

Definition of foreman

: a first or chief person: such as
a : a member of a jury who acts as chairman and spokesman
b(1) : a chief and often specially trained worker who works with and usually leads a gang or crew
(2) : a person in charge of a group of workers, a particular operation, or a section of a plant
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Other Words from foreman

foremanship \ ˈfȯr-​mən-​ˌship How to pronounce foreman (audio) \ noun

Examples of foreman in a Sentence

asked the shift foreman if he could take a break
Recent Examples on the Web Sean, a construction foreman, is working on a bridge project whose slow, steady progress the movie will keep returning to as winter bleeds into spring, as if to underscore the yawning emotional chasms separating its characters. — Justin Chang Film Critic, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Vanessa Kirby gives a shattering performance in the Netflix drama ‘Pieces of a Woman’," 6 Jan. 2021 Police also notified the village service director and the road foreman. — Thomas Jewell, cleveland, "Man drops dime on daughter knocking down stop sign during Christmas blizzard: Moreland Hills Police Blotter," 3 Jan. 2021 Many wore masks, sometimes slipping off, as workers reached over one another to hand a foreman their union card to get selected onto a crew for the night. — New York Times, "‘Very High Risk’: Longshoremen Want Protection From the Virus So They Can Stay on the Job," 12 Dec. 2020 After an hour of hunting with little fresh sign the elder Hinckleys came across the foreman of a local logging operation who offered them a ride to an area with more fresh sign. — Bob Humphrey, Outdoor Life, "5 of the Biggest Bucks Ever Taken in the Northeast," 19 Nov. 2020 Witnesses and the foreman of the crew said the man appeared to be under the influence of drugs. — cleveland, "Man claims he paid for stolen items in back of grocery store: Mayfield Heights Police Blotter," 12 Nov. 2020 Kevin Moran, a foreman at the firm, simply shrugged when asked about it while opening the gate to the business’s lot on Sunday. — Anchorage Daily News, "No, not that Four Seasons. How Team Trump’s news conference ended up at a Northeast Philly landscaping firm.," 9 Nov. 2020 Kevin Moran, a foreman at the firm, simply shrugged when asked about it while opening the gate to the business’s lot on Sunday. — oregonlive, "No, not that Four Seasons: How Team Trump’s news conference ended up at a Philadelphia landscaping firm," 9 Nov. 2020 Juan Castro said his father became a foreman with up to 15 people working on his crew. — Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, "COVID victim Ricardo Castro remembered for work ethic, love of family," 19 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'foreman.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of foreman

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for foreman

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The first known use of foreman was in the 15th century

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Statistics for foreman

Last Updated

14 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Foreman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreman. Accessed 25 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for foreman

foreman

noun
How to pronounce foreman (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of foreman

: the member of a jury who is the leader
: a person who is in charge of a group of workers

See the full definition for foreman in the English Language Learners Dictionary

foreman

noun
fore·​man | \ ˈfȯr-mən How to pronounce foreman (audio) \
plural foremen\ -​mən \

Kids Definition of foreman

: the leader of a group of workers

foreman

noun
fore·​man
plural foremen

Legal Definition of foreman

: a male or female member of a jury who acts as the leader and speaks for the jury

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More from Merriam-Webster on foreman

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for foreman

Nglish: Translation of foreman for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of foreman for Arabic Speakers

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