big enchilada

noun

, Slang.

1. someone regarded as the most important, influential, or dominant person in an organization:

   The police are hoping to catch the syndicate's big enchilada in the next raid.

Word History and Origins

Origin of big enchilada¹

First recorded in 1970–75; on the pattern of such expressions as big cheese, big wheel, etc.

Idioms and Phrases

see under big cheese .

Example Sentences

This is the big enchilada, and the culmination of the alleged death spiral.

From The Daily Beast