Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Spokesman for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "spokesman" — a noun, pronounced /ˈspəʊks.mən/, with the stress on the first syllable.
Narrator: A spokesman is a person who speaks officially on behalf of a group, company, or organisation.
Narrator: In plain English, a spokesman is the chosen voice — the one who delivers the message to the public or press.
Narrator: The word is a compound: "spokes", an old form of "spoken", joined with "man".
Narrator: It appeared in English in the sixteenth century, built from the idea of someone who has spoken for others.
Narrator: As society changed, neutral forms grew: "spokeswoman", and the gender-neutral "spokesperson".
Narrator: Today many prefer "spokesperson" in writing, though "spokesman" remains widely used and understood.
Narrator: In tone it's formal and official, at home in news reports, press releases, and corporate statements.
Narrator: So remember: a spokesman is the official voice of a group — though "spokesperson" is the inclusive modern choice.
Speaker A: A company spokesman gave a statement on the news this morning.
Speaker B: Right, the official voice. That's exactly what a spokesman is for.
Speaker A: Exactly. "The spokesman denied the rumours" — speaking for the whole company.
Speaker B: These days people often say "spokesperson" to keep it gender-neutral.
Speaker A: Yes, and "spokeswoman" if it's specifically a woman in the role.
Speaker B: A common mistake is using "spokesman" for anyone who just talks a lot.
Speaker A: Good point. A spokesman is officially appointed to represent a group.
Speaker B: Close synonyms? "Representative" is broader, "mouthpiece" can sound negative.
Speaker A: And "spokesperson" is the safe, inclusive choice for formal writing.
Speaker B: So in a press release, I'd write "a spokesperson said" to be neutral.
Speaker A: Wise — clear, official, and inclusive all at once.
Speaker B: Exactly the right call for modern writing.
Speaker B: Let's use "spokesman" in prompts to mean a single clear voice or interface that speaks for a system.
Speaker A: So "spokesman" means one official point that represents the whole?
Speaker B: Exactly. For an API, you'd write:
Prompt: Build a single spokesman endpoint that speaks for my whole app. It returns the app's status, version, and health in one response, so clients ask just one official voice.
Speaker B: The word "spokesman" gives the model a clear image of one authoritative voice for many parts.
Speaker A: Useful. What about a notification system?
Speaker B: Try this:
Prompt: Create a spokesman service that speaks for all my modules. Every part sends its messages to this one spokesman, which formats them and delivers a single, consistent announcement.
Speaker A: So messaging stays consistent.
Speaker B: Right. For a chatbot:
Prompt: Give my support bot one steady spokesman voice — the same friendly tone, sign-off, and style in every reply — so it always sounds like one official representative of the brand.
Speaker A: Consistent and professional. What about config?
Speaker B: Here you go:
Prompt: Make one spokesman config file the single source of truth for app settings. Every component reads from this one spokesman, so no setting is ever defined in two places.
Speaker A: Could it speak for errors too?
Speaker B: Yes:
Prompt: Build a spokesman error handler that speaks for the whole app. Catch every error in one place and return one clear, consistent message, never a raw stack trace to users.
Speaker A: So "spokesman" means one official voice for many parts.
Speaker B: Exactly — a memorable word for a single source of truth.
Spokesman — meaning in Arabic & definition More S courses GL Dictionary