Synonyms of chief

chief 1 of 2

adjective

ˈchēf 

1

as in main

coming before all others in importance

our chief priority this year will be cutting the budget

Synonyms & Similar Words

• main
• greatest
• primary
• highest
• foremost
• predominant
• dominant
• principal
• first
• leading
• big
• supreme
• key
• central
• cardinal
• paramount
• premier
• overriding
• great
• master
• sovereign
• prior
• capital
• primal
• distinguished
• overbearing
• No. 1
• senior
• number one
• top
• major
• preeminent
• sovran
• eminent
• grand
• overmastering
• illustrious
• outstanding
• notable
• important
• arch
• noteworthy
• high-level
• prestigious
• superior
• numero uno
• signal
• influential
• star
• stellar
• mighty
• noble
• renowned
• famed
• famous
• unequalled
• significant
• celebrated
• incomparable
• unparalleled
• momentous
• unsurpassed
• unequaled
• matchless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• last
• least
• minor
• secondary
• subordinate
• unimportant
• slight
• insignificant
• trivial
• negligible
• inferior
• collateral
• inconsiderable
• trifling
• subsidiary
• inconsequential

2

as in presiding

highest in rank or authority

the chief administrator will be retiring soon

Synonyms & Similar Words

• presiding
• foremost
• commanding
• supreme
• principal
• primary
• top
• senior
• leading
• lead
• first
• high
• head
• prime
• premier
• main
• in charge
• preeminent
• supereminent
• major
• supervisory
• high-level
• predominant
• managing
• overseeing
• paramount
• dominant
• reigning
• controlling
• sovereign
• ruling
• officiating
• upper
• directing
• superior
• uppermost
• ascendant
• topmost
• predominate
• regnant
• sovran
• ascendent
• grand
• upmost

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• second
• last
• less
• secondary
• lower
• subordinate
• lesser
• subsidiary
• ancillary
• inferior
• lowly
• assistant
• deputy
• junior
• assisting
• under
• coadjutor

chief

2 of 2

noun

1

as in body

the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts

the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son

Synonyms & Similar Words

• body
• core
• bulk
• weight
• majority
• main
• staple
• essence
• mass
• burden
• center
• whole
• root
• bottom
• heart
• nature
• entirety
• substance
• brunt
• middle
• focus
• generality
• sum
• heft
• meat
• matter
• amount
• subject
• soul
• total
• marrow
• kernel
• hub
• nucleus
• quantum
• seat
• totality
• aggregate
• sum total
• theme
• stuff
• text
• argument
• topic
• essentiality
• pitch
• pith
• affair
• motif
• point
• gist
• quintessence
• nut
• crux
• nub
• purport

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extension
• adjunct
• accessory
• component
• constituent
• element
• part
• ingredient
• section
• division
• appendage
• offshoot
• accessary
• segment
• piece
• side
• feature
• quality
• aspect
• angle
• facet

2

as in leader

the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do

our chief is out on a business trip right now

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leader
• boss
• foreman
• captain
• commander
• director
• master
• manager
• head
• lord
• administrator
• overseer
• superintendent
• honcho
• supervisor
• executive
• headman
• helmsman
• president
• principal
• kingpin
• boss man
• taskmaster
• jefe
• governor
• steward
• general
• king
• ruler
• mistress
• skipper
• overlord
• czar
• directress
• superior
• employer
• magnate
• leadman
• standard-bearer
• sovereign
• prince
• bigwig
• baron
• figurehead
• potentate
• tsar
• dominator
• mogul
• straw boss
• higher-up
• big gun
• hierarch
• sovran
• top dog
• tzar
• coleader
• gaffer
• top gun
• cohead
• ganger
• big cheese
• subchief
• micromanager
• subdirector

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• secondary
• dependent
• subject
• subordinate
• junior
• underling
• inferior

Examples of chief in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Tom Ward, executive vice president and chief ecommerce officer, Walmart U.S., said in a statement. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2024

Venus Johnson, the chief deputy attorney general of California, worked for Harris more than a decade ago, when Harris was the state’s attorney general. —Jazmine Hughes, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024

Noun

But Aurora's police chief and its mayor, Mike Coffman, a Republican, told NBC News last month that Trump’s claims about the gang are grossly exaggerated. —Julia Ainsley, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024

The appointment of Joseph marks the fourth time since 2011 that an acting chief has landed the permanent job. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024

Phrases Containing chief

• commander in chief