chief executive

American  

[cheef ig-zek-yuh-tiv] / ˈtʃif ɪgˈzɛk jə tɪv /

noun

chief executives plural

1. the president of the United States.

   the powers of the chief executive, as granted by the Constitution.

2. the governor of a U.S. state.

   the newly elected chief executive of Rhode Island.

3. the head of a government.

   a conference attended by all the European chief executives.

4. Also called chief executive officer.  the head of an organization, company, etc..

   the chief executive of a media corporation.

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chief executive British  

noun

1. the person with overall responsibility for the efficient running of a company, organization, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chief executives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chief executive

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chief executive

John Maceri, the chief executive of the People Concern, which helps house people, is still waiting on two signed agreements for funding which was set to begin July 1, totaling $727,000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

“They’re kind of mischievous — they tend to pull up trees we just planted,” said Steve Mietz, president and chief executive of the Save the Redwoods League.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Lord Roe's acting chief executive at the BSR is Charlie Pugsley, who was also his deputy commissioner at the brigade.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Cracker Barrel's chief executive is quitting a year after the company faced a widespread backlash over its controversial rebrand.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

She is like a cross between the chief executive officer of the world’s largest corporation and the chief executive officer of the world’s second largest corporation.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe