A chair is a piece of furniture with a seat, a back, and often four legs, made for one person to sit on. It can also mean the position of leading a meeting or committee.
From Old French 'chaiere', from Latin 'cathedra' meaning 'seat' or 'chair', especially a seat of authority. Over time, it came to mean both the physical object and the role of the person who sits in it.
The same root that gives us 'cathedral' (the bishop’s seat) also hides behind 'chair'. That’s why 'chairing a meeting' isn’t about furniture at all—it’s about who holds the symbolic seat of power.
“Chairman” was long the default for leadership roles, reflecting male dominance in governance and business. The shorter form “chair” emerged and spread as a gender-neutral alternative, especially in academic and nonprofit contexts.
Use “chair” as the default term for a person leading a committee or department, regardless of gender. Avoid back-forming gendered terms like “chairwoman” unless someone explicitly prefers it.
["chairperson","head","leader"]
Adopting “chair” has made it easier to name women and non-binary people in leadership without marking them as exceptions.
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