editor in chief

American

noun

plural

editors in chief

the policy-making executive or principal editor of a publishing house, publication, etc.

editor in chief British

noun

the controlling editor of a publication

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of editor in chief

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

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

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Politico has named Jonathan Greenberger as its new editor in chief, selecting an insider to lead the political publication and to continue to grow its footprint around the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Bari Weiss, the right-leaning opinion journalist who is now CBS News’ editor in chief, bragged last week that the network was “on quite a roll” in an X thread that cited Jiang’s Trump interview.

From Slate • Mar. 18, 2026

Barron’s Senior Managing Editor Lauren R. Rublin speaks with Ben Levisohn, Barron’s new editor in chief, about stocks and sectors in the news, and what to do now.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

He asked Cara if he could have a column about slang, and the editor in chief said okay, as long as everything in the column had a G rating.

From "The Landry News" by Andrew Clements

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023