chancellor
Americannoun
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the chief minister of state in certain parliamentary governments, as in Germany; prime minister; premier.
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the chief administrative officer in certain American universities.
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a secretary, as to a king or noble or of an embassy.
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the priest in charge of a Roman Catholic chancery.
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the title of various important judges and other high officials.
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(in some states of the U.S.) the judge of a court of equity or chancery.
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British. the honorary, nonresident, titular head of a university.
noun
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the head of the government in several European countries
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the president of a university or, in some colleges, the chief administrative officer
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the honorary head of a university Compare vice chancellor
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(in some states) the presiding judge of a court of chancery or equity
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the chief secretary of an embassy
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Christianity a clergyman acting as the law officer of a bishop
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archaic the chief secretary of a prince, nobleman, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of chancellor
before 1100; Middle English chanceler < Anglo-French < Late Latin cancellārius doorkeeper, literally, man at the barrier ( see chancel, -er 2); replacing Middle English canceler, Old English ≪ Late Latin, as above
Explanation
Use the noun chancellor to describe the president of your college, or the head of the German government. The word chancellor is often capitalized, depending on whom it's being used to describe. Many governments use the term to describe people with varying amounts of power, from the head of state to judges and financial officials. The head of a university is frequently called a chancellor too. The Latin root is cancellarius, an usher or guard in a court of law.
Vocabulary lists containing chancellor
Name That Job: Occupational Last Names
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Western Europe - Introductory
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Western Europe - Middle School and High School
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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.
Judge J. Travis Laster, vice chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, issued sanctions for “spoliation of evidence” in the shareholder lawsuit over the 2023 merger between Ultimate Fighting Championship and WWE.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
Dubbing the saga the "chancellor swap" debate, German media have reported the name of Hendrik Wuest -- the state premier of North Rhein-Westphalia -- is circulating as a possible alternative.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
In 2022, former German chancellor Olaf Scholz was interested in securing Canadian LNG to help replace Russian gas imports.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Among the candidates rumoured for the role of envoy are both former German chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi, but Sybiha wouldn't be drawn on any names.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
His target was the West German chancellor himself, Konrad Adenauer.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
