Weatherpersons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals, typically journalists, who report on atmospheric conditions and forecasts
2. people who analyze and disseminate information about climatic changes and phenomena
3. professionals who provide updates on environmental changes and occurrences related to the atmosphere

Etymology: "Weatherpersons" is the plural of "weatherperson," a gender-neutral compound formed from "weather" and "person." The pairing is transparent: "weather" comes from Old English "weder," and "person" from Latin "persona," originally a mask worn by actors, later a character or individual. Put together, the word names someone who presents the weather, without specifying a man or a woman. The compound follows the pattern of newer job titles that replaced gendered forms such as "weatherman" and "weatherwoman." English speakers gradually preferred "chairperson," "spokesperson," and similar words that do not mark sex, and "weatherperson" joined that group as broadcasting roles were opened to more people. The plural simply adds the usual "-s" to the end of the compound.

Synonyms: meteorologists, forecasters