chief

¹chief

adjective \ˈchēf\

Definition of CHIEF

1

: accorded highest rank or office <chief librarian>

2

: of greatest importance or influence <the chief reasons>

Examples of CHIEF

1. the chief engineer on the project
2. Her job is their chief source of income.
3. He has many concerns, chief among them his health.

First Known Use of CHIEF

14th century

Related to CHIEF

Synonyms

arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, foremost, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supreme

Antonyms

last, least

Related Words

distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renowned

Near Antonyms

inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

Rhymes with CHIEF

beef, brief, fief, grief, kef, leaf, lief, reef, sheaf, thief

²chief

adverb

Definition of CHIEF

archaic

: chiefly

First Known Use of CHIEF

14th century

³chief

noun

Definition of CHIEF

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 him — Jane Austen>

— chief·dom \-dəm\ noun

— chief·ship \-ˌship\ noun

— in chief

: in the chief position or place —often used in titles <commander in chief>

Examples of CHIEF

1. <the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son>
2. <our chief is out on a business trip right now>

Origin of CHIEF

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

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to CHIEF

Synonyms

brunt, bulk, body, core, generality, heft [archaic], main, mass, staple, weight

Related Words

majority; aggregate, amount, entirety, quantum, sum, sum total, total, totality, whole; bottom, essence, essentiality, marrow, meat, nature, pith, quintessence, root, soul, stuff, substance; center, heart, hub, kernel, middle, nucleus, nut, seat; affair, argument, burden, crux, focus, gist, nub, pitch, point, purport; matter, motif, subject, text, theme, topic

Near Antonyms

accessory (also accessary), adjunct, appendage, extension, offshoot; component, constituent, element, ingredient; division, part, piece, section, segment; angle, aspect, facet, feature, quality, side