chieftain
noun
the chief of a clan or a tribe.
chieftaincy
-
a word derived from
chieftain.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The town of Bawku is embroiled in a decades-long struggle between different ethnic groups for control of the local chieftaincy.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2025
Mr. Alorwoyie travels to Ghana several times a year to attend to affairs that concern his chieftaincy, but he also is attempting to pass his library of music on to people who can sustain it.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2017
In his autobiography, Mr. Mandela wrote that his father had been stripped of his chieftaincy by colonial leaders.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2013
Such chieftaincy also provides a neat answer to another perennial aid flaw: What happens when the aid workers leave?
From Time ● Apr. 10, 2011
The power and influence of chieftaincy pervaded every aspect of our lives in Mqhekezweni and was the preeminent means through which one could achieve influence and status.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
