chieftain
Americannoun
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the chief of a clan or a tribe.
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a leader of a group, band, etc..
the robbers' chieftain.
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Military. Chieftain, Britain's main battle tank since 1969, fitted with a 120 mm gun and two machine guns and weighing 55 tons (50 metric tons).
noun
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the head or leader of a tribe or clan
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the chief of a group of people
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of chieftain
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English cheftayne, variant of chevetaine, from Old French, from Late Latin capitāneus “chief”; see captain
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.
My husband had bought this old Pontiac Chieftain, as a surprise for me.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
"I tried using the time constructively," Mr Devonport, who served as a Chieftain gunner in the First Royal Tank Regiment, said.
From BBC • Nov. 2, 2024
The chair’s name, the Chieftain, feels apt here, as Opie appears calm, regal and in control.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2024
Patton denied any wrongdoing in an interview with The Pueblo Chieftain in November.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2022
Whispered words of praise for Tomo, "Mighty Tomo, Crafty Chieftain, Always speaking words of wisdom."
From Legend of Barkhamsted Light House A Tale from the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut by Mills, Lewis Sprague
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.
