ENGLISH
REFERENCE

salesman

n. countable
A2 Elementary US //ˈseɪɫzmən// UK //sˈeɪlzmən// sales·man

n. a man whose job is to sell products or services to customers. You might see him in a shop or he might visit people at their homes or offices.

n. a male individual engaged in the sale of goods or services. Often used in a general sense, though 'salesperson' is now more common in professional contexts to ensure gender neutrality.


SIMPLE

The salesman showed us the new car models.

CONTEXTUAL

A traveling salesman visited the office today to demonstrate a new type of industrial printer.

COMPLEX

The veteran salesman understood that building a long-term relationship with the client was far more valuable than securing a single high-commission transaction through aggressive tactics.

Origin

From sales + -man.

Usage

The plural form is 'salesmen'.

Pitfall

The salesman she is very helpful.The saleswoman is very helpful.Learners sometimes use 'salesman' as a gender-neutral term, but it specifically refers to a man; use 'saleswoman' for a woman or 'salesperson' for any gender.

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