chief justice

noun

: the presiding or principal judge of a court of justice

Examples of chief justice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Led by a former chief justice of Maine's highest court, the commission also included a former U.S. attorney and the former chief forensic psychologist for the state. CBS News, 15 Mar. 2024 But its wording — paired with a fiery opinion from the chief justice encouraging lawmakers to push its scope further — has left many wondering about the possible wider implications for people seeking I.V.F. treatment. Emily Cochrane, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 The chief justice also tried to swat away concerns that the ruling would imperil in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Alabama, suggesting that the legislature could restrict IVF embryos to one or two at a time to reduce the number that are destroyed while allowing the procedure. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024 In a concurring opinion, the chief justice drew on biblical scripture to decide the case. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 When the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are considered children under state law, its chief justice had a higher authority in mind. Peter Smith, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 The next step will be for the chief justice to organize a trial. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024 Four supreme court judges held a press conference cautioning that the court’s independence was under threat and implying that its chief justice was being effectively controlled by the government. Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2024 President Joe Biden and the Supreme Court's chief justice, John Roberts, will give eulogies at the funeral as will O'Connor's son Jay. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 18 Dec. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chief justice was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near chief justice

Cite this Entry

“Chief justice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief%20justice. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chief justice

noun
: the presiding or principal judge of a court of justice

Legal Definition

chief justice

noun
: a chief judge of a usually higher level court
specifically, often capitalized : the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
chief justiceship noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chief justice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!