chairman

The word “chairman” means the person who leads a board, committee, or meeting. In plain terms, the head of a board, committee, or company; the gender-neutral alternatives are "chair" and "chairperson.".

“Chairman” is pronounced CHAIR-muhn (/ˈtʃɛɹ.mən/ in IPA).

Here is “chairman” used in a sentence: “The chairman opened the shareholder meeting with a summary of the year's results.”

Depending on how it is used, “chairman” can be a noun and a verb.

“Chairman” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Chairman” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the person who leads a board, committee, or meeting.

A chairman leads the board of directors, chairing meetings and overseeing governance on behalf of shareholders. A CEO runs the company day to day and reports to the board. In some firms one person holds both roles, but they are distinct functions with different responsibilities and, ideally, a degree of separation.

They name the same role, but chairman is the traditional term, while chairperson, chair, and chairwoman offer gender-neutral or female alternatives. Many organisations now prefer chair or chairperson to avoid assuming gender, though chairman remains widely used and understood, especially in older or more formal settings.

A chairman leads meetings, sets the agenda, keeps discussion orderly, and ensures decisions are properly made and recorded. On a board, they guide overall strategy and governance, represent the organisation, and often act as a link between the board and the executives, without necessarily managing daily operations themselves.