What does committeewoman mean?
A committeewoman is a woman who belongs to a committee, typically one formed to oversee organizational business, community affairs, or political activity. While the term can describe any female committee member — from a school governing board to a charity's steering group — it is especially associated with United States politics, where committeemen and committeewomen are often formally elected or appointed to represent their precinct or district within a political party. In that role, a committeewoman may recruit volunteers, organize voter outreach, and help shape local party strategy. The word is formed straightforwardly from 'committee' plus 'woman', mirroring compounds like chairwoman and congresswoman. Because language has shifted toward gender-neutral alternatives such as 'committee member', usage of 'committeewoman' has declined in general contexts, though it persists as an official title in many state and county party organizations, where its precision remains valued.
nounA woman who is a member of a committee, especially one elected or appointed to a party or political committee.
- A woman who serves as a member of a committee.
- (US politics) A woman elected or appointed to represent a precinct, ward, or district on behalf of a political party.
"She served as the county's Democratic committeewoman for nearly a decade."
"As the youngest committeewoman on the board, she pushed for modernizing the club's bylaws."
"The local Republican committeewoman canvassed every neighborhood before the primary."
The plural follows the irregular plural of 'woman'.
"Both committeewomen were re-elected to the state central committee."
In many US states, 'committeewoman' isn't just a description — it's an actual elected party office you can run for at the precinct level.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of committeewoman
Committeewoman combines 'committee', which entered English in the early 17th century from the verb 'commit' (ultimately from Latin 'committere', meaning to bring together or entrust), with the suffix '-woman'. The compound follows the pattern of other gendered civic titles such as chairwoman and alderwoman, which became widespread as women entered public and political life in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its Latin root also underlies related words like commitment and commission.
How committeewoman is actually used
The word carries gendered connotations and is increasingly replaced in formal contexts by the neutral term 'committee member'. It remains standard, however, for officially designated party offices in American politics, where the title may still be explicitly gendered.
Easily confused with committeewoman
A committeeman is a male member of a committee; a committeewoman is specifically a female member.