DictionaryAI

chair

SayCHAIR/t͡ʃɛɚ//t͡ʃɛə/

Pluralchairs

Verbchairs, chairing, chaired

14 meanings of chair

Practice

  1. 1
    seatnouncountable
    A piece of furniture for one person to sit on, having a seat, a back, legs or wheels, and sometimes armrests.

    He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

    The dining room had six matching chairs around the table.

    UsagePeople sit in a chair, especially one with arms, or on a chair; both are common.

    Similarseat

    Note

    A chair, unlike a stool, has a back and holds one person; armchair is its most familiar compound.

    Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

  2. 2
    position as headnouncountablewith the
    The person who leads a committee, board, or meeting, or the position that person holds.

    After the vote, she assumed the chair of the housing board.

    Disputes over the chair delayed the organization's first session.

    UsageIn the chair means presiding; to take the chair or assume the chair is to begin leading.

    Similarchairperson, head

    Note

    The same word can name the person, as when the chair calls the meeting to order.

  3. 3
    lead a groupverbtransitive
    To act as the chairperson of a meeting or gathering; to preside over the proceedings.

    The senator agreed to chair the special committee on energy.

    She chaired the negotiations between the two unions.

    UsageSay chair a meeting or chair the committee, with no preposition. With preside, say preside over the committee or preside at a meeting.

    Similarhead, lead, run, moderate

    Note

    The verb follows the title: to chair is to do what the chair does. A 2020 Rail report has an MP disappointed that rules stopped her chairing the Transport Select Committee beyond an election.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • A 2020 Rail report describes Greenwood's disappointment that parliamentary rules prevented her continuing to chair the Transport Select Committee beyond an election. en.wiktionary.org
    • The woman described in the report was an MP. members.parliament.uk
  4. 4
    professor postnouncountable
    A distinguished professorship at a university, typically held by a senior or eminent scholar.

    The university created a new chair in environmental law.

    She was appointed to the chair of medieval history last fall.

    UsageA professor holds a chair or is appointed to the chair of a subject: a chair in law.

    Similarprofessorship

    Note

    Academic prestige measured by a seat. A professor holds or takes a chair, is appointed to the chair of a subject, or succeeds a predecessor in one, as Heidegger succeeded Husserl at Freiburg in 1928. The word names the post itself, so a university can create a chair before anyone sits in it.

    Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • Martin Heidegger succeeded Edmund Husserl in the philosophy professorship at the University of Freiburg in 1928. ub.uni-freiburg.de
  5. 5
    nouncountable
    The office or official seat of a person with authority, for example a bishop or judge.

    When the old bishop retired, three senior priests were quietly considered for his chair.

    He was raised to the chair of the diocese in spring.

    Similarseat, bench, office

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of chair apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Middle English "chayer", from Old French "chaiere", from Latin "cathedra" ("seat"), which came from Ancient Greek "kathedra", a combination of "kata" ("down") and "hedra" ("seat"). It is a doublet of "cathedra" and "chaise", and it largely displaced the native words "stool" and "settle", which now have more specialized meanings.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 6 facts