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

Retired salesman and Air Force veteran Bud Levell, 72, has spent most of his life repairing old radios, machines and anything with wires. —Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026

Chiffon cake’s origin story is fascinating, starting with an insurance salesman who moved to Hollywood, and ending in classic capitalism (the inventor ultimately sold his formula to General Mills). —Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Apr. 2026

Their father was a clock salesman who emigrated from Greece in the early 1900s. —Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026

The partners were Robert Ray Hammond, a boat builder; William Dickerson Gaston, a boat dealer; Robert Alan Shoop, a casket dealer; and Guy William Woodward, an adhesives salesman. —Michael Barnes, Austin American Statesman, 9 Apr. 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