spokesman

spokesman — noun

1. a man chosen by an organisation, company, or government department to make publi

1.nounC1
Definition

a man chosen by an organisation, company, or government department to make public statements on its behalf and answer questions from the media or the public

Example

The company's spokesman, Esteban, announced the new policy at a press conference this morning.

possessive + spokesman as job title in press-context

A government spokesman confirmed that the minister would step down next month.

government / official + spokesman + confirmed / said / announced

Common collocations
  • government spokesman
  • company spokesman
  • official spokesman
  • police spokesman
  • spokesman for the department
  • act as spokesman
  • serve as spokesman
Synonyms
  • spokesperson

    gender-neutral term; preferred in modern English and formal writing

  • representative

    broader meaning — can refer to any person acting on behalf of a group, not limited to media communication

  • press officer

    a specific job title within an organisation, often synonymous with spokesman but emphasises media-relations duties

  • mouthpiece

    informal and sometimes negative, suggesting the person merely repeats what others tell them to say

Grammar Patterns

spokesman + for + [organization]

spokesman + verb + that-clause

Usage Note

Spokesman refers specifically to a male individual. For gender-neutral contexts or when the gender is not known, use spokesperson. The female equivalent is spokeswoman.

Common Mistakes

She has been the spokesman for the charity for five years.
She has been the spokesperson for the charity for five years.
spokesman refers only to a male; use spokesperson for a woman or when gender is unknown.
The spokesman is out of office right now, but can I take a message?
The spokesman is out of the office right now, but may I take a message?
spokesman is an official role; use the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific organisation's spokesperson.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe someone who speaks or acts for another person or group, but they differ in gender implication, formality, and scope. Spokesperson is the modern gender-neutral alternative to spokesman and is preferred in most formal and journalistic contexts. Representative is much broader — it can refer to anyone acting on behalf of a group (a sales representative, a union representative, an elected representative) and is not limited to public media communication. Press officer is a specific job title within an organisation and emphasises media-relations duties rather than simply the act of speaking. Mouthpiece is informal and often carries a negative tone, suggesting the person has no independent opinion and merely repeats what they have been told. For example: 'The White House spokesman briefed reporters' (neutral, male-referring); 'You should contact their press officer for a comment' (job-specific); 'The minister's mouthpiece claimed the story was false' (dismissive).

spokesperson ↗representative ↗press officermouthpiece

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • act as spokesman
  • serve as spokesman

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Spokesman is formed from the noun 'spoke-' (derived from the past participle of 'speak') and 'man', literally meaning 'a man who speaks'. The word first appeared in English in the early 1500s. For centuries it was the only form in use. In the 20th century, as gender awareness grew, the female form 'spokeswoman' (first recorded in the 1600s but rare until the 1900s) and the gender-neutral 'spokesperson' (recorded from the 1970s) became more widely adopted.