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

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Etymology

Origin of chief justice

First recorded in 1685–95

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chief justice

One event that the chief justice did attend was the annual Hupper Island Independence Day picnic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

In fact, the so-called Roberts Court, named by tradition after the chief justice, is a misnomer.

From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026

The invitation to the chief justice is in keeping with tradition and for aspiring lawyers, the presence of the country's top judge at their convocation is usually seen as a matter of pride.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

He was a high school senior in 1954 when Warren, the new chief justice, spoke for a unanimous court to strike down racial segregation in the case of Brown vs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 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

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