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

Mayors and first selectmen rely on that money to balance their budgets, and two key lobbying groups, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and the Council of Small Towns, have both opposed eliminating the car tax. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026

That bill has not yet made its way through the House and Senate, so Chelmsford selectmen took action on Monday. — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 19 May 2026

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