What does cochairperson mean?
A cochairperson is an individual who shares the role of chairperson — the presiding officer of a committee, board, organization, or public event — with one or more peers who hold the same title. Rather than vesting leadership in a single figure, institutions that appoint cochairs distribute responsibilities such as running meetings, setting agendas, and serving as public representatives between them. The word is built from three familiar parts: the prefix 'co-' (meaning jointly), 'chair' (the seat of authority, itself from the Greek-derived Latin 'cathedra'), and the neutral suffix '-person', which replaced gendered forms like cochairman in late twentieth-century usage. It appears most often in formal settings such as nonprofits, universities, government bodies, and large events, where dual leadership signals balance, partnership, or broad representation. In everyday speech, the clipped form 'cochair' is now common, but 'cochairperson' remains the fuller, more official-sounding variant.
nounA person who serves as one of two or more joint leaders or presiding officers of a committee, organization, board, or event; each cochairperson shares the role and authority of a chairperson with one or more others.
- A person who jointly leads or presides over a committee, organization, board, event, or campaign alongside one or more other people holding the same title.
"As cochairperson of the fundraising committee, she shared responsibility for organizing the annual gala."
"She was named cochairperson of the university's capital campaign, splitting duties with a prominent alumnus."
"The summit's two cochairpersons opened the proceedings together, alternating remarks at the podium."
The plural 'cochairpersons' is standard in formal writing; the informal shortened form 'cochairs' is also widely used.
"Both cochairpersons signed the letter to the board."
The title exists precisely because modern organizations realized leadership doesn't have to be a solo act — two chairs, one gavel, zero ego contests (in theory).
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cochairperson
The word combines the prefix 'co-', from Latin 'cum' meaning 'together or with', with 'chairperson', itself formed from 'chair' — ultimately from Greek 'kathedra' ('seat') via Latin 'cathedra' and Old French 'chaiere' — plus the neutral suffix '-person'. The '-person' ending arose as a deliberate gender-neutral alternative to 'chairman' during the twentieth century, gaining wide acceptance from the 1970s onward. Compound forms like cochairperson therefore belong to a family that includes chairman, chairwoman, and chairperson, all tracing back to the idea of the seat from which authority is exercised.
How cochairperson is actually used
The word carries a formal, institutional register — it appears most often in corporate, governmental, academic, and nonprofit contexts. It is frequently used interchangeably with the shorter 'cochair', which has become increasingly common in American English. The gender-neutral suffix '-person' makes it a preferred choice over older paired forms like cochairman/cochairwoman when neutrality is desired. Pluralization follows standard patterns: 'cochairpersons' or simply 'cochairs'.
Easily confused with cochairperson
A chairperson is the single presiding officer of a body, whereas a cochairperson is one of two or more people who jointly share that role and its authority.
Cochair is a shorter, often more informal variant referring to the same joint-leadership role; cochairperson is the fuller, more formal term.