chieftain

American  

[cheef-tuhn, -tin] / ˈtʃif tən, -tɪn /

noun

1. the chief of a clan or a tribe.

2. a leader of a group, band, etc..

   the robbers' chieftain.

3. Military. Chieftain, Britain's main battle tank since 1969, fitted with a 120 mm gun and two machine guns and weighing 55 tons (50 metric tons).

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chieftain British  

/ ˈtʃiːftən, -tɪn /

noun

1. the head or leader of a tribe or clan

2. the chief of a group of people

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Other Word Forms

• chieftaincy noun
• chieftainship noun

Etymology

Origin of chieftain

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English cheftayne, variant of chevetaine, from Old French, from Late Latin capitāneus “chief”; captain

Example Sentences

The most straightforward, and successful, parts recount the 1836 abduction of a Mexican rancher’s wife named Camila by an Apache band led by the larger-than-life chieftain Mangas Coloradas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

“What were we supposed to do? Watch them get slaughtered and be silent?” said Muwaffaq Tarif, the spiritual chieftain of the 150,000-strong Druze community in Israel.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 21, 2025

Charity Adams, changed back to “Fort Lee,” I can only imagine how the SCV and others would respond to a re-renaming after any Lee other than their holy Confederate chieftain.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2025

Now, the mercenary chieftain would be subordinated to Mr. Shoigu, an unparalleled political survivor in modern Russia and Mr. Prigozhin’s sworn enemy.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2023

For even the Wise might fear to withstand the Nine, when they are gathered together under their fell chieftain.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

• bigwig
• boss
• tribal chief