chief justice
Americannoun
-
Law. the presiding judge of a court having several members.
-
Official Title Chief Justice of the United States. (initial capital letters) the presiding judge of the U.S. Supreme Court.
noun
-
(in any of several Commonwealth countries) the judge presiding over a supreme court
-
(in the US) the presiding judge of a court composed of a number of members
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of chief justice
First recorded in 1685–95
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Let’s review ways in which the chief justice, and the court he has led, had shown remarkable patience in voting and election cases.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
The chief justice declared that the way to end racial discrimination was to stop discriminating based on race.
From Salon • May 9, 2026
The chief justice of the Supreme Court stepped forward to administer the oath of office.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
