chief

American  

[cheef] / tʃif /

noun

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.

---

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

---

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

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

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

“We obviously hope for every co-investment to get this large,” Scott Wilson, WashU’s endowment chief, wrote in an email, “but few businesses compound at this rate for such a long period of time.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Cook said that some of his greatest highlights as chief executive have been at events such as Apple’s developers conference.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Beverley Warmington, DVSA's chief executive, said: "The location restrictions introduced on 9 June will help to deter bookings at locations where learners do not intend to take their test."

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

"AI is incredibly powerful technology with the potential to shape society in profound ways, and with proper care, unlock meaningful benefits for people everywhere," Apple's software chief Craig Federighi said in a launch video.

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

Mr. Crabtree wanted to postpone Fire Prevention Day but the fire chief said he couldn’t do that.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

Related Words

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