salesman

noun

sales·​man ˈsālz-mən 

plural salesmen

: a person (especially a man) whose job is to sell a product or service in a given territory, in a store, or by telephone compare salesperson, saleswoman

Synonyms of salesman

• clerk
• salesperson

Examples of salesman in a Sentence

He was the company's best salesman last year.

a furniture salesman followed us around the whole time we looked for a new couch

Recent Examples on the Web

Set primarily in Lower Manhattan in the 1950s, Marty Supreme follows Marty, at first a young and unibrowed shoe salesman, who will stop at nothing to pursue his dream of becoming a world-class table tennis player. —Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2026

Angelo lives two totally separate lives—fearsome NYC hitman and sleepy upstate Cooperstown photocopier salesman and father. —Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 31 Dec. 2025

The action takes place at a real estate firm where a trainer reveals that only the top two salesmen will keep their jobs by the end of the week. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Dec. 2025

Get out and become the salesman in chief for the Republican agenda. —ABC News, 28 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1523, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing salesman

• traveling salesman

Rhymes for salesman

• salesmen

Kids Definition

salesman

noun

sales·​man -mən 

: one who sells in a specific territory or in a store

salesmanship

-ˌship

noun