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
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
Jane Austen
see also:
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
David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Others called her the chief architect of K-culture’s American ascent.
—Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
In addition to Gehlfuss and Ellis, Natalee Linez stars as CIA analyst Gina Gosian and Necar Zadegan plays Nikki Reynard, the deputy chief of the CIA’s New York branch.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chief
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Now, three weeks into a war of choice, the chief offender is the President of the United States.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2026
Others called her the chief architect of K-culture’s American ascent.
—Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Noun
When four of its members (Ogoni chiefs — one of whom was my mother’s brother-in-law) were brutally killed by restive Ogoni youths, the government arrested my father and eight of his colleagues.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
In addition to Gehlfuss and Ellis, Natalee Linez stars as CIA analyst Gina Gosian and Necar Zadegan plays Nikki Reynard, the deputy chief of the CIA’s New York branch.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chief
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chief
2 of 2 noun
: the head of a group : leader
chief of police
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
