chief
Americannoun
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the head or leader of an organized body of people; the person highest in authority.
the chief of police.
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the head or ruler of a tribe or clan.
an Indian chief.
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U.S. Army. Chief, 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.
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Informal: Sometimes Offensive. boss or leader.
We'll have to talk to the chief about this.
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Heraldry.
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the upper area of an escutcheon.
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an ordinary occupying this area.
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adjective
adverb
idioms
noun
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the head, leader, or most important individual in a group or body of people
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another word for chieftain
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heraldry the upper third of a shield
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primarily; especially
adjective
adverb
Sensitive Note
See powwow.
Related Words
See capital 1.
Other Word Forms
- chiefless adjective
- chiefship noun
- subchief noun
- underchief noun
Etymology
Origin of chief
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef, Old French chef, from unattested Vulgar Latin capum, re-formation of Latin caput head
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.
In another photo, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, appears to be speaking to those in attendance.
From Barron's
In the lead-up to the campaign, Israel’s military brass had been flying in and out of Washington to plan the offensive, including its top general, air force chief, head of military intelligence and Mossad director.
Inflation is looking like it’s heating up in the first quarter, agreed Scott Anderson, chief U.S. economist at BMO Capital Markets.
From MarketWatch
The risk of escalation goes up if energy infrastructure is hit, which could trigger a stock market correction, says BCA research Matt Gertken chief geopolitical strategist.
From Barron's
The risk of escalation goes up if energy infrastructure is hit, which could trigger a stock market correction, says BCA research Matt Gertken chief geopolitical strategist.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
