chief

1 of 3

adjective

1
: accorded highest rank or office
chief librarian
the company's chief executive
2
: of greatest importance or influence
the chief reasons
their chief accomplishment

chief

2 of 3

adverb

archaic

chief

3 of 3

noun

1
: the upper part of a heraldic field
2
: the head of a body of persons or an organization : leader
chief of police
3
: the principal or most valuable part
would never rest till she had read the chief of the letter to himJane Austen
chiefship noun
Phrases
in chief
: in the chief position or place
often used in titles
commander in chief

Examples of chief in a Sentence

Adjective the chief engineer on the project Her job is their chief source of income. He has many concerns, chief among them his health. Noun the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son our chief is out on a business trip right now
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
San Diego County first requested reimbursement on Sept. 3, 2021, according to the letter from Robbins-Meyer, the former chief administrative officer. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024 Hastings has served as the company's chief investment officer since December 2023 and previously served as SVP of corporate development and strategy and head of investor relations. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Anshu Bhardwaj, Walmart’s chief operating officer for its global technology and commerce technology divisions, said the retailer wants to put its findings into practice. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 What is now an 86-room hotel was used as a summer cottage into the 1990s, Sam Barnwell, chief development officer for Hotel Investment Services, told the Detroit Free Press. Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 The death of a nonbinary teen who collapsed a day after an altercation at a high school in Owasso, Okla., has been ruled a suicide, according to a summary report released Wednesday by the state’s chief medical examiner. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 The hotel’s chief concierge, Jeffrey Morgan, is president of the Washington Area Concierge Association and a member of Les Clef d’Or. Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 The chief inspector also said that there are security cameras at a nearby historic property, Mount Pleasant Mansion, and investigators hope their surveillance footage will reveal more information about the shooting, per CBS News. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 California Your guide to the L.A. County district attorney race: 11 candidates aim to unseat Gascón Feb. 1, 2024 Sentencing Enhancements Gascón has taken flak for many of his reform-minded policies, with his heavy limitations on the filing of sentencing enhancements chief among them. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
The 38-minute recording captured Germany’s air force chief and three other officers deliberating the theoretical supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv. Kate Brady, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 In: Elon Musk Boeing Space NASA SpaceX William Harwood Bill Harwood has been covering the U.S. space program full-time since 1984, first as Cape Canaveral bureau chief for United Press International and now as a consultant for CBS News. William Harwood, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2024 Two of them related to the police chief’s communication with others and one reprimanded Burns for hiring an attorney in connection with another officer’s EEOC complaint without the approval of the city council. Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Mar. 2024 The former Israeli military chief's visit threatens to worsen his relations with political rival Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Emma Bowman, NPR, 2 Mar. 2024 Other Wall Street majors, including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, also announced pay bumps for their chiefs in the last few weeks following an increase in banking profits. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 21 Feb. 2024 At the end of last year, differences between President Volodymyr Zelensky and his then-army chief Zaluzhnyi spilled into the open, when Zaluzhnyi apparently suggested a number the president felt was too high. CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 Gill, 52, is the chief for the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service and has been an ocean lifeguard for 34 years. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan was the only chief to get a salary cut. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chief.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef head, chief, from Latin caput head — more at head

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chief was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chief

Cite this Entry

“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chief

1 of 2 adjective
1
: highest in rank or authority
chief librarian
2
: most important : main
your chief claim to fame

chief

2 of 2 noun
: the head of a group : leader
chief of police
Etymology

Noun

Middle English chief "top part, head," from early French chief "head, chief," from Latin caput "head" — related to capital, captain

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