chairperson
Noun: 1. The presiding officer of a meeting, committee, board, or organization: The person who is formally appointed or elected to lead and conduct the proceedings of a group, ensuring order, facilitating discussion, and often having the authority to make rulings on procedure. 2. A person in a position of authority who leads a collective body: The individual who holds the highest office in an organized group, responsible for its administration and often representing it externally.
The word "chairperson" is a gender-neutral term used to refer to the leader of a meeting or an organization. It is often used in formal, professional, and official contexts. * It is typically used with the definite article "the" when referring to a specific, known position (e.g., "The chairperson called the meeting to order"). * It can be used as a title before a name (e.g., "Chairperson Smith"). * Direct address in a meeting is often simply "Madam Chairperson" or "Mr. Chairperson," or more formally, "Madam Chair" or "Mr. Chair."
- Formal Address: "All questions should be directed to the chairperson."
- Election/Appointment: "The board elected a new chairperson to serve a two-year term."
- Role Description: "The chairperson's duties include setting the agenda and moderating debate."
- Title: "I would like to thank Chairperson Garcia for her leadership."
- "To chair" (verb): The action of performing the role of a chairperson.
- Example: "She will chair the finance committee meeting next week."
- "The chair": A common metonymic shortening used to refer to the position or the person occupying it, especially during meetings.
- Example: "I appeal to the chair for a ruling on that point."
- Chairman / Chairwoman: Gender-specific terms that are synonymous with "chairperson." "Chairperson" is preferred in modern usage for neutrality.
- Chair: A common and concise synonym for "chairperson," widely used in all contexts (e.g., "the chair of the department").
- Presiding Officer: A formal term emphasizing the function of leading a meeting, often used in parliamentary contexts.
- Moderator: A person who presides over a debate or discussion, similar to a chairperson but sometimes with a more focused role on facilitating exchange rather than organizational leadership.
- Convener: A person who calls a meeting together, who may or may not also chair it.
- Presiding officer
- Chair
- Head
- Leader (of a meeting/organization)
- President (in some organizational structures)
- Member
- Participant
- Attendee
- To take the chair: To assume the role of chairperson and begin a meeting.
- Example: "The vice-president will take the chair in the chairperson's absence."
- To address the chair: To speak formally in a meeting by directing one's comments to the chairperson, a standard rule of parliamentary procedure.
- Example: "Please remember to address the chair and not speak over other members."
- the officer who presides at the meetings of an organization
- address your remarks to the chairperson