selectman
noun
se·lect·man
sə-ˈlek(t)-ˌman 
-ˌlek(t)-ˈman,
-ˈlek(t)-mən;
ˈsē-ˌlek(t)-ˌman
: one of a board of officials elected in towns of all New England states except Rhode Island to serve as the chief administrative authority of the town
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
And, the other night, local selectmen awarded a $1.1 million contract to a Peabody construction company, Campbell Construction Group LLC, which will place staging around the tower, rebuild its core, and reconstruct the lighthouse’s top.
—
Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2023
This ambivalence was highlighted in 2019 — even before the committee’s rightward lurch — when Republicans became apoplectic over a sudden sprouting of campaign signs linking Mr. Trump with Fred Camillo, their candidate for the mayor-like position of first selectman.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2022
Jayme Stevenson, former first selectman in Darien and Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Connecticut’s 4th district, expressed skepticism about the approach.
—Erica E. Phillips, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
Simmons served as first selectman in his hometown of Stonington after Congress.
—Christopher Keating, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2021
Stemming from a lawsuit filed against the town of Southborough, Mass., by a resident who said selectmen had silenced her unlawfully, the decision pushed back against attempts to mandate good manners.
—Jenna Russell, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023
Kolenda, who is no longer a selectman, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Mar. 2023
The section of the town’s website that links to the first selectman’s office was offline Monday afternoon.
—Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2023
Her husband Ian Underwood, a town selectman, proposed slashing the town’s school budget by half.
—Dan Barry, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2022
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Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2023
This ambivalence was highlighted in 2019 — even before the committee’s rightward lurch — when Republicans became apoplectic over a sudden sprouting of campaign signs linking Mr. Trump with Fred Camillo, their candidate for the mayor-like position of first selectman.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 6 Nov. 2022
Jayme Stevenson, former first selectman in Darien and Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Connecticut’s 4th district, expressed skepticism about the approach.
—Erica E. Phillips, Hartford Courant, 8 July 2022
Simmons served as first selectman in his hometown of Stonington after Congress.
—Christopher Keating, courant.com, 29 Aug. 2021
Stemming from a lawsuit filed against the town of Southborough, Mass., by a resident who said selectmen had silenced her unlawfully, the decision pushed back against attempts to mandate good manners.
—Jenna Russell, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023
Kolenda, who is no longer a selectman, could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Mar. 2023
The section of the town’s website that links to the first selectman’s office was offline Monday afternoon.
—Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2023
Her husband Ian Underwood, a town selectman, proposed slashing the town’s school budget by half.
—Dan Barry, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'selectman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1635, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to selectman
Dictionary Entries Near selectman
Cite this Entry
“Selectman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selectman. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.
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Kids Definition
selectman
noun
se·lect·man
si-ˈlek(t)-ˌman
-mən;
-ˌlek(t)-ˈman
: one of a group of town officials elected annually in some of the New England states
Legal Definition
selectman
noun
se·lect·man
si-ˈlekt-mən, -ˌman
: one of a board of officials elected in towns of all New England states except Rhode Island to serve as the chief administrative authority of the town
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