chief

[ cheef ]

/ tʃif /

See synonyms for: chief / chiefest on Thesaurus.com

noun

the head or leader of an organized body of people; the person highest in authority: the chief of police.

the head or ruler of a tribe or clan: an Indian chief.

(initial capital letter)U.S. Army. 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.

Informal. boss or leader: We'll have to talk to the chief about this.

Heraldry.

the upper area of an escutcheon.
an ordinary occupying this area.

adjective

highest in rank or authority: the chief priest; the chief administrator.

most important; principal: his chief merit; the chief difficulty.

adverb

Archaic. chiefly; principally.

SYNONYMS FOR chief

7 foremost, leading, prime, paramount, cardinal.

See synonyms for chief on Thesaurus.com

ANTONYMS FOR chief

6 subordinate.

See antonyms for chief on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?

Question 1 of 10

seclusion

a false belief or opinion.

the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for chief

in chief,

in the chief position; highest in rank (used in combination): editor in chief; commander in chief.
Heraldry. in the upper part of an escutcheon.

Origin of chief

1250–1300; Middle English <Anglo-French chief, chef,Old French chef<Vulgar Latin *capum, re-formation of Latin caputhead

synonym study for chief

7. See capital¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM chief

chiefless, adjectivechiefship, nounsubchief, nounun·der·chief, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH chief

chef, chief

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for chief

All your letter is delicious, but chiefest the last sentence where you say you like your Chaucer so much.
Hortus Inclusus|John Ruskin
They endured much cold in this place, and the chiefest remedy were great fires.
A Narrative of the expedition of Hernando de Soto into Florida published at Evora in 1557|A Gentleman of Elvas
His was a great soul, and, when my love grows unselfish, my chiefest regret is that he is not here to witness to-morrow's dawn.
The Iron Heel|Jack London
For this I hoped, for my life as it had become was no longer my chiefest good.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete|Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

So, from marvel to marvel you have drifted on, thinking all the time that the one last seen must be the chiefest.
The Innocents Abroad|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

British Dictionary definitions for chief

chief

/ (tʃiːf) /