chief

[cheef]

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.

chief

/ 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.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chief¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chief¹

C13: from Old French, from Latin caput head

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Synonym Study

See capital ¹.

Example Sentences

Paraguay authorities say they believe a former state security chief from Mexico arrested there over the weekend was planning to establish a criminal network in the South American nation.

From Los Angeles Times

Hopkinson, who previously served as president and chief operating officer at Madison Square Garden Sports and head of global partnerships at Real Madrid, wants to position Newcastle "among the world's elite".

From BBC

To film there, we first had to seek permission from the community's chief, and we were guided throughout by a local crew of fixers who knew how to navigate its maze of waterways.

From BBC

"It's going to be a vibrant industry, but it's going to be smaller, way smaller than we thought," Ford chief executive Jim Farley said at an event on Tuesday.

From BBC

Since the county realized they were facing thousands of lawsuits, it has been the job of Fesia Davenport, the chief executive officer, to ensure the county doesn’t go bankrupt.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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