chief

American  

[cheef] / tʃif /

noun

1. the head or leader of an organized body of people; the person highest in authority.

   the chief of police.

2. the head or ruler of a tribe or clan.

   an Indian chief.

3. U.S. Army. Chief, a title of some advisers to the Chief of Staff, who do not, in most instances, command the troop units of their arms or services.

   Chief of Engineers;

   Chief Signal Officer.

4. Informal: Sometimes Offensive. boss or leader.

   We'll have to talk to the chief about this.

5. Heraldry.

   1. the upper area of an escutcheon.

   2. an ordinary occupying this area.

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adjective

1. highest in rank or authority.

   the chief priest;

   the chief administrator.

   Antonyms:

   subordinate

2. most important; principal.

   his chief merit;

   the chief difficulty.

   Synonyms:

   paramount, prime, leading, foremost, cardinal

adverb

1. Archaic. chiefly; principally.

idioms

1. in chief,

   1. in the chief position; highest in rank (used in combination).

      editor in chief; commander in chief.

   2. Heraldry. in the upper part of an escutcheon.

chief British  

/ tʃiːf /

noun

1. the head, leader, or most important individual in a group or body of people

2. another word for chieftain

3. heraldry the upper third of a shield

4. primarily; especially

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adjective

1. (prenominal)

   1. most important; principal

   2. highest in rank or authority

adverb

1. archaic principally

Sensitive Note

See powwow.

Related Words

See capital ¹.

Other Word Forms

• chiefless
  adjective
• chiefship
  noun
• subchief
  noun
• underchief
  noun

Etymology

Origin of chief

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef, Old French chef, from unattested Vulgar Latin capum, re-formation of Latin caput head

Explanation

A chief is a leader, often of a tribe or clan. Sometimes we call the president our "commander in chief." A chief is the head honcho, the big cheese, the top dog. Tribes are lead by chiefs, but so are firefighters (fire chief), policeman (police chief), and companies (Chief Executive Officer or CEO). When used as an adjective, chief describes the most important element or main ingredient of something. You couldn't make mac and cheese without the chief ingredients: macaroni and cheese.

Example Sentences

Areas within the severe blast zone represent “areas where we can expect severe structural damage and significant harm,” said Nick Freeman, an Orange County Fire Authority division chief.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

UK Athletics' chief executive Jack Buckner said he was "appalled" when it was revealed former Great Britain sprinter Reece Prescod had signed up in January.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

Matthew Strozier is the bureau chief for WSJ Pro Venture Capital, overseeing a team of reporters who cover private-market investment and the startup ecosystem.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

"So far, we have had no significant or serious incidents," police chief Vasiljevic said early on Saturday evening.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

General Philippe Pétain, who replaced Nivelle as commander in chief, dealt with the mutiny more through persuasion than punishment.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• captain
• commander
• director
• head
• leader
• manager
• ruler
• superintendent
• supervisor