Plural of chairman; multiple men who preside over or lead meetings, organizations, or committees.
From 'chairman' (from Old English 'chaere' meaning seat + 'mann' meaning man). The irregular plural 'chairmen' (not 'chairsmans') follows the Old English pattern where 'man' in compounds often becomes 'men.'
The irregular plural 'chairmen' (instead of 'chairmans') actually reveals the age of the word—it preserves old English grammar patterns where 'man' became 'men' even in the middle of compound words, like 'firemen' and 'policemen.'
Plural of chairman. Historically used generically to include all leaders regardless of gender, but this unmarked male term marginalized women even when present, requiring them to accept male-gendered language for their own leadership.
Use chairs, chairpersons, or leaders instead. These terms apply clearly to all genders without requiring speakers to use masculine forms for mixed or female groups.
["chairs","chairpersons","leaders"]
Women have served in leadership across history; using inclusive plurals from the start recognizes that leadership was never an exclusively male domain.
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