chancellor

American  

[chan-suh-ler, -sler, chahn-] / ˈtʃæn sə lər, -slər, ˈtʃɑn- /

noun

chancellors plural

1. the chief minister of state in certain parliamentary governments, as in Germany; prime minister; premier.

2. the chief administrative officer in certain American universities.

3. a secretary, as to a king or noble or of an embassy.

4. the priest in charge of a Roman Catholic chancery.

5. the title of various important judges and other high officials.

6. (in some states of the U.S.) the judge of a court of equity or chancery.

7. British. the honorary, nonresident, titular head of a university.

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chancellor British  

/ -slə, ˈtʃɑːnsələ /

noun

1. the head of the government in several European countries

2. the president of a university or, in some colleges, the chief administrative officer

3. the honorary head of a university Compare vice chancellor

4. (in some states) the presiding judge of a court of chancery or equity

5. the chief secretary of an embassy

6. Christianity a clergyman acting as the law officer of a bishop

7. archaic the chief secretary of a prince, nobleman, etc

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chancellorship
  noun
• underchancellor
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• chancellors
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chancellor chancellors

However, he admitted the appointment of his former boss, Healey, as chancellor had moved the debate in the right direction.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Official data Tuesday showed UK government borrowing dropped more than expected in June, handing a boost Healey, who replaced Rachel Reeves as chancellor of the exchequer.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Henry Kissinger’s misdeeds in Cambodia couldn’t keep the College of William and Mary from appointing him chancellor.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

He replaced Rachel Reeves, who had served as Sir Keir Starmer's chancellor since Labour's 2024 landslide election win.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

So the king and the prime minister and the lord chancellor would all be looking for somewhere to convalesce it.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Five of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses also have new chancellors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Commissioner Brett Yormark hastily scheduled a meeting with the league’s athletic directors, presidents and chancellors later this week to discuss the outcome.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

CSU’s chancellor, vice chancellors and university presidents will also receive enhanced retirement benefits and housing stipends for campus presidents will be increased.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

However, previous chancellors who have been tempted to change to the higher rate tax relief on pension contributions have not done so.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2025

Lords, chancellors, judges, and officers from every department, together with deputies from the provinces, met in the palace and were presided over by the king.

From Istar of Babylon A Phantasy by Potter, Margaret Horton

Related Words

• administrator
• agent
• bureaucrat
• civil servant
• commissioner
• director
• executive
• leader
• manager
• minister
• officer
• representative
• secretary