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

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

Although the chief justice later withdrew the comment, Dipke embraced the label, turning the cockroach into the movement's symbol.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

If I extended the radius another two dozen blocks or so, I’d take in numerous other Pulitzer recipients, as well as the chief justice of the U.S.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

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