Chairman

ˈtʃeər.mən

nounIntermediate📊CommonAcademic
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

A person chosen to preside over a meeting or a board; the head of an organization.

ˈtʃeər.mən

nounneutralIntermediate
Academic

The person presiding over a meeting or board

The chairman opened the meeting with a welcome address.

💡 Simply: Imagine a class president, or the person who runs the meeting. The chairman is the boss of the meeting!

👶 For kids: The person in charge of a meeting or a group.

More Examples

2

The company's chairman made a crucial decision.

3

She was elected as the chairman of the student council.

How It's Used

Business

"The chairman of the board announced the company's profits."

Politics

"The chairman of the committee presented the bill to the senate."

Organization

"The chairman of the charity addressed the volunteers."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Idioms & expressions

chairman's address

The speech given by the chairman, typically at a formal meeting or event.

"The annual general meeting began with the chairman's address."

chairman of the board

The person in charge of the board of directors of a company.

"The chairman of the board sets the overall direction for the company."

From Old English *cēosan* 'to choose' (related to 'chair') + *mann* 'man', originally referring to the person chosen to preside over a meeting.

Historically, the term 'chairman' has been used across various fields including government, business, and academia to denote the person in a leadership role.

Memory tip

Think of the person 'chairing' the meeting, keeping it on track.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"Derived from 'chair' which originally meant the person who 'chooses' or decides, and 'man' denoting the person."

chairman of the boardcompany chairmanchairman's addresselected chairmanformer chairman

Common misspellings

chairmenchair man

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written