chair

1 of 2

noun

ˈcher 

plural chairs

1

a

: a seat typically having four legs and a back for one person

b

: electric chair

—used with the

2

a

: an official seat or a seat of authority, state, or dignity

b

: an office or position of authority or dignity

c

: professorship

holds a university chair

d

: chairperson sense 1

was appointed chair of the committee

3

: a position of employment usually of one occupying a chair or desk

specifically : the position of a player in an orchestra or band

4

: any of various devices that hold up or support

5

: a sedan chair

chair

2 of 2

verb

chaired; chairing; chairs

transitive verb

1

: to preside as chairperson of

chaired a commission

2

: to install in office

3

chiefly British : to carry on the shoulders in acclaim

we chaired you through the market place

—A. E. Housman

Synonyms

Noun

• chairman
• chairperson
• moderator
• president
• presider
• prolocutor
• speaker

Examples of chair in a Sentence

Noun

a chair by the window

We'll need a table and four chairs for the dining room.

He is now chair of the English department.

She's chair of the school board this year.

Address any questions to the committee chair.

a murderer who was sentenced to the chair

Verb

He's been chosen to chair the task force on school violence.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Ramirez-Rosa resigned from that leadership post and from his coveted Zoning Committee chair role after apologizing, leading to a power vacuum in council leadership that was not filled until Johnson tapped vice mayor Ald. —Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025

Foxx will be the only female committee chair in the 119th Congress. —Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 14 Jan. 2025

Verb

Martin O’Malley, the former Social Security commissioner who is now seeking to chair the Democratic National Committee, took the brunt of House GOP anger over federal telework policies – and a number of other topics – in a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on Thursday. —Emily Brooks, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025

The following folks, along with lawmakers who chair House and Senate committees, are some of the key people setting the pace of this year's 40-day legislative session. —Kristal Dixon, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chaiere, from Anglo-French, from Latin cathedra, from Greek kathedra, from kata- cata- + hedra seat — more at sit

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing chair

• Adirondack chair
• Barcelona chair
• bath chair
• butterfly chair
• captain's chair
• chair car
• chair rail
• club chair
• co-chair
• deck chair
• director's chair
• easy chair
• electric chair
• fighting chair
• garden chair
• high chair
• ice-cream chair
• lawn chair
• lounge chair
• morris chair
• papasan chair
• potty-chair
• pull up a chair
• rocking chair
• sedan chair
• side chair
• slipper chair
• swivel chair
• the chair
• Windsor chair
• wing chair

Kids Definition

chair

noun

ˈche(ə)r,

ˈcha(ə)r

1

: a seat with legs and a back for use by one person

2

a

: an official seat or a seat of authority or honor

b

: an office or position of authority or honor

c

: an official who conducts a meeting