chancellor
Americannoun
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the chief minister of state in certain parliamentary governments, as in Germany; prime minister; premier.
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the chief administrative officer in certain American universities.
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a secretary, as to a king or noble or of an embassy.
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the priest in charge of a Roman Catholic chancery.
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the title of various important judges and other high officials.
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(in some states of the U.S.) the judge of a court of equity or chancery.
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British. the honorary, nonresident, titular head of a university.
noun
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the head of the government in several European countries
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the president of a university or, in some colleges, the chief administrative officer
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the honorary head of a university Compare vice chancellor
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(in some states) the presiding judge of a court of chancery or equity
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the chief secretary of an embassy
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Christianity a clergyman acting as the law officer of a bishop
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archaic the chief secretary of a prince, nobleman, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of chancellor
before 1100; Middle English chanceler < Anglo-French < Late Latin cancellārius doorkeeper, literally, man at the barrier ( see chancel, -er 2); replacing Middle English canceler, Old English ≪ Late Latin, as above
Explanation
Use the noun chancellor to describe the president of your college, or the head of the German government. The word chancellor is often capitalized, depending on whom it's being used to describe. Many governments use the term to describe people with varying amounts of power, from the head of state to judges and financial officials. The head of a university is frequently called a chancellor too. The Latin root is cancellarius, an usher or guard in a court of law.
Vocabulary lists containing chancellor
Name That Job: Occupational Last Names
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Western Europe - Introductory
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Western Europe - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was a plan hatched in 2017 by then German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and a freshly elected French President, Emmanuel Macron.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Following numerous exchanges on the topic over the past year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron came to realize that the companies couldn’t be forced to cooperate, the German official said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Missing out on the spot is a blow for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
It should be noted, however, that Grantham and Chancellor recently published The Making of a Permabear: The Perils of Long-Term Investing in a Short-Term World, which makes me wonder how they ever made any money.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
“Unless, of course, you doubt what the Chancellor says is best for the Collective’s survival.”
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
