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

“Eliminating racial discrimination,” the chief justice wrote, “means eliminating all of it.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

The former chief justice, who hopes to run for president in the 2027 election, was arrested along with nine others.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

“Who is Salmon Chase?” he said, invoking the 19th-century chief justice of the Supreme Court, an Ohioan with a statue at the state capitol.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

As chief justice, of course, Roberts wrote or joined all those decisions as well.

From Slate • May 28, 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