foreman

noun

fore·​man ˈfȯr-mən 

: a first or chief person: such as

a

: a member of a jury who acts as leader and spokesperson for the jury

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

foremanship

ˈfȯr-mən-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms of foreman

• boss
• leader
• manager
• captain
• chief
• master
• commander

Examples of foreman in a Sentence

asked the shift foreman if he could take a break

Recent Examples on the Web

Bill and Doris Cooper were responsible for converting all 28 acres of vines to CCOF Certified Organic status in 2011, a designation maintained to this day by general manager Jan Garrod and his son Trevor, who serves as winemaker and ranch yard foreman. —Laura Ness, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026

Customers were very important; workers, foremen. —Michael Kilian, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

The panel ruled that Heaps was denied a fair trial because the judge did not share with his defense counsel a note by the court's foreman pointing out concerns that one juror lacked sufficient English to carry out their duties. —CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026

It was overturned by an appeals court in February, which ruled that Heaps was denied a fair trial because the judge did not share with his attorneys a note from the court’s foreman sharing concerns about a juror's English proficiency. —ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foreman

• longshoreman
• longshoremen
• metformin
• corpsman
• foremen
• mormon
• warman

Kids Definition

foreman

noun

fore·​man ˈfōr-mən 

ˈfȯr-

1

: a member of a jury who is the leader

2

: a person in charge of a group of workers

Legal Definition

foreman

noun

fore·​man

plural foremen

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