spokeswoman

spokeswoman — noun

1. a woman whose job is to make public statements or answer questions on behalf of

1.nounB2
Definition

a woman whose job is to make public statements or answer questions on behalf of a company, government, or other group of people

Example

A company spokeswoman confirmed that the new store will open next spring.

noun + that-clause: reporting information

When the fire broke out, a police spokeswoman urged residents to stay away from the area.

noun + object + to-infinitive: urging action

Common collocations
  • company spokeswoman
  • police spokeswoman
  • hospital spokeswoman
  • official spokeswoman
  • spokeswoman for
  • spokeswoman confirmed
  • spokeswoman said
  • spokeswoman denied
Synonyms
  • spokesperson

    gender-neutral term, now more common in official and formal writing

  • spokesman

    male-specific equivalent; follows the same pattern

  • mouthpiece

    informal, sometimes negative — suggests the person merely repeats the group's message without independence

  • press secretary

    a specific role, usually in government or politics, with focus on media relations

Grammar Patterns

spokeswoman for [organization]

spokeswoman + reporting verb + that-clause

Usage Note

A feminine-specific noun. The male equivalent is spokesman, and the gender-neutral alternative is spokesperson, which is increasingly preferred in professional and formal contexts.

Common Mistakes

He is the spokeswoman for the organisation.
He is the spokesman for the organisation.
spokeswoman refers to a female person; use spokesman for a male or spokesperson for either gender.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Spokeswoman is one of three gender-marked terms (alongside spokesman) for a person who speaks officially for a group. Spokesperson is the modern gender-neutral standard and is the safest choice in most formal or written contexts. Spokesman and spokeswoman specify gender, which can be useful when the speaker's gender is relevant to the message. Press secretary is a narrower, job-title term found mainly in government and politics — not every spokeswoman is a press secretary. Mouthpiece is informal and carries a hint of distrust, implying the speaker merely passes along the group's message without independent judgment. For example, 'The White House press secretary briefed the media' sounds neutral and official, whereas 'He's just a mouthpiece for the party' sounds critical.

spokesperson ↗spokesman ↗press secretarymouthpiece

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • spokeswoman for
  • spokeswoman said
  • spokeswoman confirmed
  • spokeswoman announced
  • spokeswoman denied

Prepositions

Etymology

English

Formed in English by combining the noun woman with spokes-, taken from spokesman. Spokesman itself appeared in the early 1500s (first recorded around 1513), built from spoke (the past tense of speak) and man, following patterns like craftsman. Spokeswoman emerged later, in the mid-1800s, as a feminine counterpart. The gender-neutral alternative spokesperson became widely used from the 1970s onward.