chief justice

[cheef juhs-tis]

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.

chief justice

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

Other Word Forms

• chief justiceship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of chief justice¹

First recorded in 1685–95

Example Sentences

Earl Warren later became the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The FCC's first chief justice and the judges that serve in it will be appointed by the president.

Read more on BBC

There she will be sworn into office in St Patrick's Hall by the chief justice.

Read more on BBC

The chief justice is “the leader in some sense, but you cannot fire people if they don’t follow you,” he said at a judicial conference in June.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“So why doesn’t it apply again?” the chief justice asked.

Read more on MarketWatch