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

The Smithsonian is independent of the executive branch, governed by a 17-member board led by the chief justice of the Supreme Court and with six members of Congress, three from each party, serving with nine private citizens and the vice president. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2026

The chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court has ordered a 90-day pause on livestreaming court proceedings. — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

The chief justice’s action gave the full Supreme Court time to consider whether there should be a longer stay as the litigation proceeded. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

In mid-May, India’s chief justice made some comments comparing unemployed youth to cockroaches and parasites. — Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chief justice

• injustice

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