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

Carrying $14 and two shirts — one of which was far too big for him, his daughter said — Jarad connected with a contact person in Manhattan and began working as a door-to-door salesman in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Harlem. —Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026

Related Stories Henry Rinnan, an ordinary family man and unremarkable salesman, becomes the Gestapo’s most valuable Norwegian agent. —Marta Balaga, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026

On a night in late January 2024, a man who was both a barber and a marijuana salesman was operating the businesses out of his uncle’s south Fort Worth apartment, lining up hairlines and weed deals. —Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Mar. 2026

Lipa’s arrival also revives attention on Clooney’s unusually consequential run as a coffee salesman. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

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