front man

IPA/fɹˈʌnt mˈan/
IPA/fɹˈʌnt mˈæn/

front man — noun

1. someone who appears to lead or own a business or group in public, while the peop

1.nounB2
Definition

someone who appears to lead or own a business or group in public, while the people with real power stay hidden behind them.

Example

The police soon realised that Cyrus was only the front man for a smuggling ring.

front man for + the hidden operation

Reuben acted as the front man while two silent investors owned the casino.

Common collocations
  • front man for
  • act as a front man
  • use someone as a front man
Synonyms
  • figurehead

    a figurehead simply lacks real power; a front man specifically hides who holds it

  • puppet

    puppet stresses being controlled; front man stresses being a respectable public cover

Grammar Patterns

front man for [a person or organization]

Usage Note

Usually followed by 'for' naming the hidden party who keeps the real control or ownership.

Common Mistakes

She is the company's front man, making all the big decisions.
She only appears to run the company; hidden owners make the real decisions.
a front man holds no real power, so it cannot describe the person actually in charge.

2. the main singer or musician who leads a band and stands at the centre of its liv

2.nounB2
Definition

the main singer or musician who leads a band and stands at the centre of its live shows.

Example

Tanvi became the front man of the rock band after their first singer left.

front man of + the band

As the front man, Lukas sang every chorus and chatted with the cheering crowd.

front man + lead vocals and crowd interaction

Common collocations
  • front man of
  • the band's front man
  • charismatic front man
Synonyms
  • lead singer

    a lead singer only sings; a front man is the band's main public personality

  • bandleader

    a bandleader directs the musicians; a front man may not control the arrangements

Antonyms
  • sideman

    a sideman supports the group rather than leading it

Grammar Patterns

front man of [a band or group]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this reading is anchored to a band or group; in music writing it is often spelled as one word, 'frontman'.

Common Mistakes

Adele is the front man of her band.
Adele is the front woman of her band.
when the lead performer is a woman, writers usually pick 'front woman' or the neutral 'frontperson'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words point to someone at the musical centre of a group, but they stress different things. A 'vocalist' is simply the person who sings, with no claim to leading the band. A 'lead singer' takes the main vocal lines but may stay musically in the background between songs. A 'bandleader' directs the playing — choosing songs, setting tempos, cueing the players — and need not sing at all. 'Front man' is the widest of the four: it names the band's public face and main personality on stage, the one who talks to the crowd and carries the show, whether or not they write the music. So Freddie Mercury was Queen's front man and lead singer; a jazz drummer who picks the set list is the bandleader but rarely the front man.

front man ↗lead singerbandleader ↗vocalist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • front man for the operation
  • front man of the band

Phrases

  • act as a front man
  • serve as a front man

Adjectives

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The compound joins 'front' and 'man'. 'Front' came through Old French from Latin 'frons', meaning the forehead or the foremost part, and in English grew to mean the side that faces outward and is seen by everyone. A 'front man', then, is literally the person placed at the front — the one the public sees. The figurehead sense leans on the idea of a face that hides what is behind it, while the band sense pictures the performer standing at the front of the stage.

First known use

1928

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1