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

Example Sentences

“What stands out is how quickly the market flipped once the pressure eased,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide in a research note.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

“The muscle memory from the post-‘liberation day’ selloff is still clearly with investors,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Reilly Wealth, during an interview with MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

The country’s army chief and de facto leader, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has developed a warm relationship with President Trump while tightening his grip on power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

“Younger audiences have different expectations of how sports should be consumed,” said Tim Hanlon, chief executive of The Vertere Group a media industry consulting and advisory firm.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

I wasn’t sure why we didn’t get along, but I had a feeling that it was because my mom was the commander in chief, and he was just another Academy kid.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

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