A woman who presides over and leads a group, organization, or meeting.
From chair (originally a seat of authority, from Latin cathedra) + woman. The gendered term emerged in the 20th century as women took leadership roles.
Before the 1960s, 'chairwoman' barely existed in dictionaries because almost all leaders were men—the word itself is proof of how recent women's leadership in institutions actually is!
Gendered title 'chairwoman' emerged as women entered boardrooms, paralleling 'policeman/policewoman.' 'Chairman' remains default, embedding gender as deviation when female.
Use 'chair,' 'chairperson,' or '[Name], Chair of [Organization].' These are clearer and gender-neutral without sacrificing clarity.
["chair","chairperson","chair of"]
Women board leaders have advocated for neutral terminology that doesn't diminish authority. Many explicitly request 'chair' rather than gendered variants.
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