What does cochairwoman mean?
A cochairwoman is a woman who shares the office of chair with one or more other people, jointly presiding over a committee, organization, event, or campaign. The prefix 'co-' (from Latin, meaning 'together') signals that authority is divided rather than held singly, distinguishing her from a chairwoman who leads alone. The term appears most often in formal institutional settings — charity galas, political campaigns, corporate boards, and academic conferences — where dual leadership distributes workload or balances perspectives. Because many contemporary style guides prefer gender-neutral alternatives such as 'cochair' or 'cochairperson,' the use of 'cochairwoman' usually signals a deliberate choice to identify the officer as a woman, whether for clarity, representation, or adherence to an organization's own naming conventions. Its plural is 'cochairwomen.'
nounA woman who serves as one of two or more joint chairs of a committee, organization, or event, sharing the presiding role with others.
- A woman who holds the office of chair jointly with one or more other chairs of a committee, organization, or event.
"As cochairwoman of the fundraising gala, she shared planning duties with two colleagues."
"She was appointed cochairwoman of the university's capital campaign alongside its longtime president."
"The conference was organized by its two cochairwomen, who split oversight of speakers and logistics."
Standard irregular plural, changing '-woman' to '-women'.
"The gala's two cochairwomen welcomed guests at the entrance."
The word 'woman' in 'chairwoman' is one of English's rare survivals of an old compound pattern — and 'cochairwoman' doubles it up with the Latin prefix co- meaning 'together.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cochairwoman
Cochairwoman combines three elements: the prefix 'co-,' from Latin 'cum' meaning 'together with'; 'chair,' which entered English from Old French 'chaire' and ultimately Latin 'cathedra' (a seat), coming to mean the seat of authority and then the person occupying it; and 'woman,' from Old English. The compound follows the pattern of 'chairwoman' and 'chairman,' which arose as organizational titles in English; the 'co-' form developed later, reflecting the modern practice of shared leadership. Cognates within this family include chairman, chairperson, chairmanship, and cochairman.
Related word forms
How cochairwoman is actually used
The word is used in formal organizational contexts — boards, galas, campaigns, conferences — where gender-specific titles are still preferred or customary. In many modern style guides, the gender-neutral 'cochair' or 'cochairperson' is favored, so 'cochairwoman' typically appears when the writer is deliberately specifying that the holder is a woman.
Easily confused with cochairwoman
A chairwoman is the sole presiding officer, whereas a cochairwoman shares that role jointly with one or more other chairs.