noun

chairman

CHAIR-muhn

noun

The person who leads a board, committee, or meeting.

"The chairman opened the shareholder meeting with a summary of the year's results."

verb

To act as chairman of a group or meeting.

"He has chairmanned the board since its founding."

How to Use Chairman

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe head of a board, committee, or company; the gender-neutral alternatives are "chair" and "chairperson."

When to use it

Many organizations now prefer "chair" or "chairperson" over "chairman" for gender neutrality.

Common pairings

company chairman chairman of the board

chairmaned past tense, chairmanned past tense, chairmen plural, chairmans singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The _____ opened the shareholder meeting with a summary of the year's results.

A compound of "chair" and "-man," dating to the head of a meeting who traditionally sat in the chief seat.

airman repairman