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

Examples of selectman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The previous library director resigned citing political interference and alleging that the first selectman had advised her to tag all LGBTQ+ books with warning labels. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2025

Shortly after their request, the first selectman said that town officials hadn’t heard a valid reason to fund new hires in the department. —Caitlin Clarkson Pereira, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2025

The Boston Globe reported last month that Dan Koh, a former Andover, Mass., selectman and aide to former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, is considering a run. —Tribune News Service, Twin Cities, 9 Jan. 2025

Otherwise, the general welfare of the town and its people had been turned over to the selectmen—that is, to a government. —Gary Greenberg, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

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