chief justice

American  

[cheef juhs-tis] / ˈtʃif ˈdʒʌs tɪs /

noun

1. Law. the presiding judge of a court having several members.

2. Official Title Chief Justice of the United States.  (initial capital letters) the presiding judge of the U.S. Supreme Court.

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chief justice British  

noun

1. (in any of several Commonwealth countries) the judge presiding over a supreme court

2. (in the US) the presiding judge of a court composed of a number of members

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Other Word Forms

• chief justiceship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of chief justice

First recorded in 1685–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chief justice

"But as the chief justice has said, all members of the court can do their jobs as they believe legally right, adjudicating cases without fear or favor."

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Writing for the court, the chief justice said the words of the 14th Amendment were clear and were clearly understood at the time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Kansas established its current system following a scandal in 1956 involving self-dealing by the governor, lieutenant governor, and chief justice of the state Supreme Court.

From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2026

"We keep that promise today," the chief justice said.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

I remember really only the smallest things—how brightly the sun fell across Barack’s forehead just then, how a respectful hush came over the crowd as the Supreme Court chief justice, John Roberts, began the proceedings.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama