Definition of 'chief'

chief

(tʃiːf )

Word forms: plural chiefs

1. countable noun

The chief of an organization is the person who is in charge of it.

...a commission appointed by the police chief.

...Putin's chief of security. [+ of]

2. countable noun & title noun

The chief of a tribe is its leader.

...Sitting Bull, chief of the Sioux tribes of the Great Plains. [+ of]

3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

Chief is used in the job titles of the most senior worker or workers of a particular kind in an organization.

...the chief test pilot.

4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]

The chief cause, part, or member of something is the most important one.

Financial stress is well established as a chief reason for divorce.

The job went to one of his chief rivals.

Synonyms: primary, highest, leading, main More Synonyms of chief

More Synonyms of chief

Video: pronunciation of
chief

chief in British English

(tʃiːf )

noun

the head, leader, or most important individual in a group or body of people

2. another word for chieftain (sense 2)

3. heraldry

the upper third of a shield

4. See in chief

adjective

5. (prenominal)

most important; principal

highest in rank or authority

adverb

6. archaic

principally

Word origin

C13: from Old French, from Latin caput head

chief in American English

(tʃif )

noun

the head or leader of a group, organization, etc.; person of highest title or authority

2. Archaic

the most valuable or main part of anything

3. Heraldry

the upper third of a shield

4. [usually C-]; Nautical

a chief engineer or chief petty officer

adjective

highest, as in rank or office; foremost

the chief magistrate

most important or significant; main; principal

the chief advantages

adverb

7. Archaic

chiefly

Idioms:

in chief

SYNONYMY NOTE: chief is applied to the person or thing first in rank, authority, importance, etc., and usually connotes subordination of all others [his chief problem was getting a job]; principal is applied to the person who directs or controls others [a principal clerk] or to the thing or person having precedence over all others by reason of size, position, importance, etc. [the principal products of Africa]; main, in strict usage, is applied to the thing, often part of a system or an extensive whole, that is preeminent in size, power, importance, etc. [the main line of a railroad]; lead1 verb transitive stresses capacity for guiding, conducting, or drawing others [a leading light, question, etc.]; foremost suggests a being first by having moved ahead to that position [the foremost statesman of our time]; capital1 is applied to that which is ranked at the head of its kind or class because of its importance or its special significance [the capital city]

OPPOSITES: subordinate, subservient

Derived forms

chiefdom (ˈchiefdom)

noun

Word origin

ME chef, chief, leader < OFr < VL *capum < L caput, head

chief in American English

(tʃif)

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

3. (cap) 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

4. informal

boss or leader

We'll have to talk to the chief about this

5. Heraldry

the upper area of an escutcheon

an ordinary occupying this area

6. See in chief

adjective

highest in rank or authority

the chief priest

the chief administrator

most important; principal

his chief merit

the chief difficulty

adverb

9. archaic

chiefly; principally

Derived forms

chiefless

adjective

chiefship

noun

Word origin

[1250–1300; ME ‹ AF chief, chef, OF chef ‹ VL *capum, re-formation of L caput head]

Examples of 'chief' in a sentence
chief

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

Highly respected, he was tipped at one point to become lord chief justice.In only two and half days, chief executives clock up the average annual wage.Yet one quango chief picked up 50,000 this year. EUROPEAN football chiefs are heading for war.The chief medical officer said she had no plans to stop working and urged others to follow suit if they want to boost their life expectancy. COLD calls offering investment opportunities should be banned because they are always scams, the police chief in charge of tackling financial fraud warns today.This alliance had as its chief purpose heading off popular resistance movements.The district police chief was also hurt in the attack.The chief medical officer says action is needed because there are not enough new antibiotics becoming available.The chief reason for this devaluation is the individualism of most evangelicals.

Word lists with
chief

heraldry, Titles of rulers

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