chief

American  

[cheef] / tʃif /

noun

1. the head or leader of an organized body of people; the person highest in authority.

   the chief of police.

2. the head or ruler of a tribe or clan.

   an Indian chief.

3. U.S. Army. Chief, a title of some advisers to the Chief of Staff, who do not, in most instances, command the troop units of their arms or services.

   Chief of Engineers;

   Chief Signal Officer.

4. Informal: Sometimes Offensive. boss or leader.

   We'll have to talk to the chief about this.

5. Heraldry.

   1. the upper area of an escutcheon.

   2. an ordinary occupying this area.

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adjective

1. highest in rank or authority.

   the chief priest;

   the chief administrator.

   Antonyms:

   subordinate

2. most important; principal.

   his chief merit;

   the chief difficulty.

   Synonyms:

   paramount, prime, leading, foremost, cardinal

adverb

1. Archaic. chiefly; principally.

idioms

1. in chief,

   1. in the chief position; highest in rank (used in combination).

      editor in chief; commander in chief.

   2. Heraldry. in the upper part of an escutcheon.

chief British  

/ tʃiːf /

noun

1. the head, leader, or most important individual in a group or body of people

2. another word for chieftain

3. heraldry the upper third of a shield

4. primarily; especially

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adjective

1. (prenominal)

   1. most important; principal

   2. highest in rank or authority

adverb

1. archaic principally

Sensitive Note

See powwow.

Synonym Usage

See capital ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• chiefless
  adjective
• underchief
  noun
• subchief
  noun
• chiefship
  noun

Etymology

Origin of chief

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef, Old French chef, from unattested Vulgar Latin capum, re-formation of Latin caput head

Explanation

A chief is a leader, often of a tribe or clan. Sometimes we call the president our "commander in chief." A chief is the head honcho, the big cheese, the top dog. Tribes are lead by chiefs, but so are firefighters (fire chief), policeman (police chief), and companies (Chief Executive Officer or CEO). When used as an adjective, chief describes the most important element or main ingredient of something. You couldn't make mac and cheese without the chief ingredients: macaroni and cheese.

Example Sentences

He later became chief White House correspondent during Bill Clinton’s turbulent second term.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

"Equity markets are once again taking their cue from the technology sector rather than the geopolitical headlines," said IG chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

They were Tonia Arey, a real estate agent who lives in the San Fernando Valley; Tomás Sidenfaden, a tech firm chief executive; and Carmenlina Minasova, a medical professional and resident of the Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Talks between Ottawa and Washington “are pretty firmly stuck,” said Steve Verheul, the former chief Canadian trade negotiator, in testimony last week before the country’s senate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Beside him in the open bridge cockpit was Captain Vasili Arkhipov, chief of staff of the four-boat brigade.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• captain
• commander
• director
• head
• leader
• manager
• ruler
• superintendent
• supervisor