chief

American  

[cheef] / tʃif /

noun

• chiefs
  plural

1. the head or leader of an organized body of people; the person highest in authority.

   the chief of police.

2. the head or ruler of a tribe or clan.

   an Indian chief.

3. U.S. Army. Chief, a title of some advisers to the Chief of Staff, who do not, in most instances, command the troop units of their arms or services.

   Chief of Engineers;

   Chief Signal Officer.

4. Informal: Sometimes Offensive. boss or leader.

   We'll have to talk to the chief about this.

5. Heraldry.

   1. the upper area of an escutcheon.

   2. an ordinary occupying this area.

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adjective

1. highest in rank or authority.

   the chief priest;

   the chief administrator.

   Antonyms:

   subordinate

2. most important; principal.

   his chief merit;

   the chief difficulty.

   Synonyms:

   paramount, prime, leading, foremost, cardinal

adverb

1. Archaic. chiefly; principally.

idioms

1. in chief,

   1. in the chief position; highest in rank (used in combination).

      editor in chief; commander in chief.

   2. Heraldry. in the upper part of an escutcheon.

chief British  

/ tʃiːf /

noun

1. the head, leader, or most important individual in a group or body of people

2. another word for chieftain

3. heraldry the upper third of a shield

4. primarily; especially

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adjective

1. (prenominal)

   1. most important; principal

   2. highest in rank or authority

adverb

1. archaic principally

Sensitive Note

See powwow.

Synonym Usage

See capital ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chiefship
  noun
• subchief
  noun
• underchief
  noun
• chiefless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chiefs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chief

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef, Old French chef, from unattested Vulgar Latin capum, re-formation of Latin caput head

Explanation

A chief is a leader, often of a tribe or clan. Sometimes we call the president our "commander in chief." A chief is the head honcho, the big cheese, the top dog. Tribes are lead by chiefs, but so are firefighters (fire chief), policeman (police chief), and companies (Chief Executive Officer or CEO). When used as an adjective, chief describes the most important element or main ingredient of something. You couldn't make mac and cheese without the chief ingredients: macaroni and cheese.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chief chiefs

Sarah Gibson, chief executive of Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said the combination of the eclipse and the British Fireworks Championships in the city was sure to boost footfall in the city.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

All 43 chief constables in England and Wales are urging Burnham to establish an "additional public protection safeguard" in cases involving violent and dangerous offenders.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

“It’s kind of like the ‘Enter Sandman’ market—sleep with one eye open, hold your pillow tight,” said Matt Stucky, chief portfolio manager of equities at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

As McDonnell spoke, the commission room erupted in jeers as several people accused the chief of misrepresenting what happened.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

General Maxwell Taylor, chief of staff of the U.S.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

This intervention from police chiefs comes after the mother of PC Harper told the BBC a phone call from Downing Street "gave her hope" Cole and Bowers could remain behind bars.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

He quoted intelligence chiefs as saying they had helped to develop a "range of measures" to manage any risks.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

But the way up remains far more welcoming for finance and operating chiefs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The break-in process could take even longer given Warsh’s big divergence with past chiefs.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

The Xhosa waged a long war against the white man as well, but after experiencing the futility of battle against a better-armed foe, many Xhosa chiefs took a more nimble approach.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Related Words

• captain
• commander
• director
• head
• leader
• manager
• ruler
• superintendent
• supervisor