The last three terms in this list represent efforts to find nonmasculine names for the one who chairs the meeting or the committee. Chairwoman and chairlady had been in use for some time prior to recent attempts to eliminate exclusive language—examples of which both certainly are. Chairlady, however, never had much real support and may always have evoked fewer ideas of equality than could be really helpful. Chairperson, on the other hand, has been widely accepted and has been the term of choice until recently, when chairman has recovered some status, thanks to its being preferred by many female occupants of the chair themselves, particularly in legislatures. But see also CHAIR; -ESS; FEMININE OCCUPATIONAL FORMS; INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE; SEXIST LANGUAGE.
