selectman
noun
se·lect·man sə-ˈlek(t)-ˌman 
-ˌlek(t)-ˈman,
-ˈlek(t)-mən;
ˈsē-ˌlek(t)-ˌman
: one of a board of officials elected in towns of all New England states except Rhode Island to serve as the chief administrative authority of the town
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web As a town selectman, Darey helped stop the construction of a highway bypass through a wildlife sanctuary in Lenox, among other achievements; Bell helped the BNRC conserve more than 2 miles of ridgeline in the Hoosac Range. 
Jon Gorey, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Aug. 2022 In the 2017 municipal election, Wellman defeated Paine for the first selectman spot by a margin of 34 votes. Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2022 The same is true in Bolton, an east-of-the-river Hartford suburb where the first selectman is Republican Pam Sawyer, who served with Klarides in the House and voted for her at the convention. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 24 July 2022 Windsor Locks had not had a Republican mayor or first selectman in 20 years. Christopher Keating, courant.com, 8 Nov. 2021 In her upset win, Spicer defeated city councilor John Stefanini, a former state Representative and selectman who worked on the city charter commission. BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2021 Andreas Bisbikos, Colchester’s new first selectman, made the grants to businesses and nonprofits a top priority of his administration this year. Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2022 The former first selectman has been working on a book about the Irish canal builders for years. Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 17 Mar. 2022 This was hinted at in 2020, when Ian Underwood, a town selectman aligned with the Free State, proposed eliminating the police department as a way to fire its sole employee, the longtime and somewhat controversial chief. New York Times, 10 July 2022 See More
Jon Gorey, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Aug. 2022 In the 2017 municipal election, Wellman defeated Paine for the first selectman spot by a margin of 34 votes. Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2022 The same is true in Bolton, an east-of-the-river Hartford suburb where the first selectman is Republican Pam Sawyer, who served with Klarides in the House and voted for her at the convention. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 24 July 2022 Windsor Locks had not had a Republican mayor or first selectman in 20 years. Christopher Keating, courant.com, 8 Nov. 2021 In her upset win, Spicer defeated city councilor John Stefanini, a former state Representative and selectman who worked on the city charter commission. BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2021 Andreas Bisbikos, Colchester’s new first selectman, made the grants to businesses and nonprofits a top priority of his administration this year. Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 2 June 2022 The former first selectman has been working on a book about the Irish canal builders for years. Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, 17 Mar. 2022 This was hinted at in 2020, when Ian Underwood, a town selectman aligned with the Free State, proposed eliminating the police department as a way to fire its sole employee, the longtime and somewhat controversial chief. New York Times, 10 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1635, in the meaning defined above
Legal Definition
selectman
noun
se·lect·man si-ˈlekt-mən, -ˌman
: one of a board of officials elected in towns of all New England states except Rhode Island to serve as the chief administrative authority of the town