foreman

noun

fore·​man ˈfȯr-mən 

: a first or chief person: such as

a

: a member of a jury who acts as chairman and spokesman

b(1)

: a chief and often specially trained worker who works with and usually leads a gang or crew

(2)

: a person in charge of a group of workers, a particular operation, or a section of a plant

foremanship

ˈfȯr-mən-ˌship 

noun

Synonyms

• boss
• boss man
• captain
• chief
• head
• headman
• helmsman
• honcho
• jefe
• kingpin
• leader
• master
• taskmaster

Examples of foreman in a Sentence

asked the shift foreman if he could take a break

Recent Examples on the Web

More than $150,000 in counterfeit bags were seized and nine ringleaders and factory foreman were imprisoned in connection with the case. —Lisa Lockwood, WWD, 4 Feb. 2025

In this Gallic take on Steven Knight’s acclaimed 2013 drama Locke, Lindon is Joseph Cross, a construction foreman who supervises concrete pours. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 30 Jan. 2025

When the time came for deliberation and the jury had to pick a foreman, Witherspoon recalled how everyone unanimously pointed at her. —Dan Heching, CNN, 25 Jan. 2025

In 1980, front-line production supervisors (essentially factory foremen) made more on average than computer programmers. —The Upshot Staff, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

foreman

noun

fore·​man ˈfōr-mən 

ˈfȯr-

1

: a member of a jury who is the leader

2

: a person in charge of a group of workers

Legal Definition

foreman

noun

fore·​man

plural foremen

: a male or female member of a jury who acts as the leader and speaks for the jury