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.

Related Words

See capital ¹.

Other Word Forms

• chiefless adjective
• chiefship noun
• subchief noun
• underchief 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

Example Sentences

“Adding a fuel surcharge feels like a bridge too far,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of the Cruise Critic website.

From MarketWatch

Nike’s finance chief, Matt Friend, predicted sales there would fall 20% and would continue to be a weak point for the company throughout the next fiscal year.

From The Wall Street Journal

“These super apps that offer convenience are useful, but they’re also Trojan horses,” said Amy Webb, chief executive of the Future Today Institute.

From The Wall Street Journal

European Command and top military chief at NATO, told Congress in a hearing earlier this month that the network of U.S. alliances in Europe were crucial for the U.S. military’s ability to “project power globally.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“The new ‘magic number’ reflects a convergence of factors — from persistent inflation and longer life expectancies, to uncertainty about the future of Social Security,” said John Roberts, chief field officer at Northwestern Mutual.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

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