chairman

chairman

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Pronunciation

chairman: /ˈtʃɛrmən/

Here's a breakdown of the sounds by syllable:

• Chair

• /tʃ/ - voiceless palato-alveolar affricate (as in "church")

• /ɛ/ - open-mid front unrounded vowel (as in "bed")

• /r/ - voiced alveolar approximant (as in "red")

• man

• /m/ - voiced bilabial nasal (as in "mat")

• /ə/ - schwa, mid-central unrounded vowel (as in "about")

• /n/ - voiced alveolar nasal (as in "nap")

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Word Form Variations

• Singular Noun: chairman

• Plural Noun: chairmen

• Feminine Noun: chairwoman, chairwomen (plural)

• Gender-neutral Noun: chairperson, chairpersons (plural)

• Verb: chair (to act as chairman/chairperson) - This is a less common usage in everyday speech but is formally correct.

• Present Simple (3rd person singular): chairs

• Present Participle: chairing

• Past Simple/Past Participle: chaired

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Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms

Noun

• Definition 1: A person, typically male, who presides over a meeting, committee, or board, responsible for conducting proceedings, maintaining order, and guiding discussions.

• Synonyms: president, head, director, convenor, leader

• Antonyms: attendee, participant, member (in the context of not leading)

• Definition 2: The titular head of a company's board of directors, often a ceremonial role or one with significant strategic oversight but not necessarily day-to-day management responsibilities.

• Synonyms: figurehead, principal, dignitary, chief

• Antonyms: subordinate, employee, associate

Verb

• Definition 1: To preside over a meeting, discussion, or official proceeding, guiding the agenda and ensuring its orderly conduct.

• Synonyms: moderate, preside, lead, conduct, direct

• Antonyms: participate, observe, listen

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Examples of Use

Books:

• "The chairman rapped his gavel, calling the unruly meeting to order, his voice cutting through the din." (Example from a fictional novel, drawing on common boardroom imagery)

• "In Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr., Chernow details Rockefeller's role as the de facto chairman of Standard Oil, even after stepping back from day-to-day operations."

Newspapers:

• "The chairman of the Federal Reserve delivered a cautious outlook on inflation during his testimony before Congress yesterday." (Associated PresS)

• "Shares surged after the company announced its new chairman, known for his aggressive turnaround strategies." (Financial Times)

Online Publications:

• "In a recent interview, the chairman of Google's parent company, Alphabet, discussed the future of AI regulation." (The Verge)

• "Activists called for the resignation of the parliamentary chairman following allegations of corruption." (Al Jazeera English)

Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:

• Television Series (e.g., Succession): "Logan Roy, the formidable chairman of Waystar RoyCo, always had the final say in major corporate decisions." (Fictional example consistent with the show's themes)

• Film (e.g., The Social Network): "Sean Parker effectively became the unofficial chairman of Facebook during its early, tumultuous growth." (Depiction within the film)

• Podcasts (e.g., The Daily): "Today, we hear from the chairman of the World Bank on global economic stability." (The New York Times)

• Video Games (e.g., Grand Theft Auto V): "The FIB chairman issued a public statement condemning the recent rise in organized crime." (Fictional in-game dialogue)

General Public Discourse:

• "Who is the chairman of your local school board this year?" (Everyday conversation about local governance)

• "The outgoing chairman gave a heartfelt speech at the annual general meeting, thanking everyone for their support." (Describing an event or farewell)

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10 Quotes Using Chairman

1. "There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." – Sam Walton

2. "If a chairman sacks the manager he initially appointed, he should go as well." – Brian Clough

3. "One word from Chairman Mao is worth ten thousand from others. His every statement is truth. We must carry out those we that understand as well as those we don't." – Lin Biao

4. "I enter negotiations with Chairman Arafat, the leader of the PLO, the representative of the Palestinian people, with the purpose to have coexistence between our two entities, Israel as a Jewish state and Palestinian state, entity, next to us, living in peace." – Yitzhak Rabin

5. "Larry Fink, 61, tall and outgoing and passionate about his business, is the chairman, CEO, and co-founder of the largest asset-management company in the world, BlackRock." – Carol Loomis

6. "Be as polite to the custodian as you are to the chairman of the board." – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

7. "I'm trying to figure out, Chairman of what Board? People come up to me and seriously say: 'Well, what are you Chairman of? ' And I can't answer them." – Frank Sinatra

8. "Double-digit inflation is a terrible thing - and it got up to 14 or 15 percent on a monthly basis for a while, shortly after I became chairman of the Fed." – Paul A. Volcker

9. "I was Chairman Mao's dog. What he said to bite, I bit." – Jiang Qing

10. "By the time I stepped down as Xerox's CEO in 2009 - and as chairman in January 2010 - Xerox had become the vibrant, profitable and revitalized company that it still is today." - Anne M. Mulcahy

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Etymology

The word "chairman" is a combination of two older words: "chair" and "man."

• "Chair": This part of the word doesn't just refer to a piece of furniture you sit on. Historically, a "chair" also meant a "seat of authority" or "office." Think of a king on his throne or a professor at their desk in a university; those seats symbolized their power or position. This figurative meaning of "chair" has been around since at least the 13th century.

• "Man": This simply refers to a human being, originally without necessarily implying a male gender in its oldest Germanic roots, though it later became more strongly associated with males in English.

So, when these two words came together, "chairman" literally meant someone who occupies a "chair of authority."

The first known use of the noun "chairman" with the meaning we commonly understand today – someone presiding over a meeting or having a position of leadership – is recorded in the mid-1600s, with the Oxford English Dictionary citing an example from 1624. This usage reflects the idea of someone sitting in the "chair" (the designated seat of the person in charge) to lead discussions or manage affairs.

Interestingly, the word "chairwoman" (for a female leader) appeared soon after, in 1699, and the gender-neutral "chairperson" came much later, in 1971, as language evolved to be more inclusive.

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Phrases + Idioms Containing Chairman

1. "To be in the chairman's seat": To be in a position of authority or leadership.

2. "The chairman's gavel": Referring to the authority or final decision of the person in charge of a meeting.

3. "Calling the chairman to account": Demanding an explanation or justification from the leader.

4. "The chairman's privilege": The special rights or discretion granted to the person presiding.

5. "Chairman of the board": The highest-ranking officer of a company's board of directors.

6. "To clear it with the chairman": To get approval from the head or main authority.

7. "Under the chairman's guidance": Operating or proceeding according to the leader's direction.

8. "A chairman's cross to bear": A heavy responsibility or burden specifically faced by the leader. (Original phrase)

9. "Sitting in the head honcho's chair": Being in charge. (Uses synonym "head honcho")

10. "The captain goes down with the ship": Implies the ultimate responsibility of the leader (captain as a synonym for chairman) for failures.

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Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA

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Source Information

Definition of chairman from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.

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