Word
spokesman
US/ˈspoʊksmən/
UK/spˈəʊksmən/
Definition
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.
Examples
“The company spokesman answered questions from the reporters.”
“A spokesman for the fire department confirmed that everyone escaped the building safely before the roof collapsed.”
“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.”
Examples
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.”
Usage
Often followed by the preposition 'for' to indicate the group being represented.
Pitfall
the spokesman of the company
the spokesman for the company
While 'of' is sometimes used, 'for' is the standard preposition to indicate representation.
Real-World Examples
“Officers were pursuing it for almost seven minutes before the Passat turned the wrong way on to the A66, at which point officers "aborted " the pursuit, the IOPC spokesman said.” “David Skoczulek, spokesman for 60 West - the facility where Smith lived in his final years - told the BBC that Smith passed away in his sleep there in June and was later cremated.” Etymology
From spoke (“past participle of speak”) + -s- + man.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/spokesman