ENGLISH
REFERENCE

spokesman

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈspoʊksmən// UK //spˈəʊksmən// spokesman General-service

n. a person who is chosen to speak for a group or an organization. You usually see them giving official information to the news.

n. a person designated to speak on behalf of an organization or group. Often used in the context of public relations or official government communication.


SIMPLE

The company spokesman answered questions from the reporters.

CONTEXTUAL

A spokesman for the fire department confirmed that everyone escaped the building safely before the roof collapsed.

COMPLEX

The official spokesman declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, citing the need to protect the privacy of those involved until the final report is released.

Origin

From spoke (“past participle of speak”) + -s- + man.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'for' to indicate the group being represented.

Pitfall

the spokesman of the companythe spokesman for the companyWhile 'of' is sometimes used, 'for' is the standard preposition to indicate representation.

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