chancellor

noun

chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər 

1

a

: the secretary of a nobleman, prince, or king

b

: the lord chancellor of Great Britain

c

British : the chief secretary of an embassy

d

: a Roman Catholic priest heading the office in which diocesan business is transacted and recorded

2

a

: the titular head of a British university

b(1)

: a university president

(2)

: the chief executive officer in some state systems of higher education

3

a

: a lay legal officer or adviser of an Anglican diocese

b

: a judge in a court of chancery or equity in various states of the U.S.

4

: the chief minister of state in some European countries

chancellorship

ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of chancellor in a Sentence

the new chancellor of the university

Recent Examples on the Web

One answer to such questions comes from the recent resignation of BOR Vice Chair Juanita James, who was appointed to head the search for a new CSCU chancellor, and faced her own criticism for alleged inaction over the problems within the BOR. — Dr. Matthew Warshauer, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

The former two-term Georgia governor, who has served as chancellor since 2022, will retire at the end of this year. — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026

The chancellor of the California Community Colleges will develop the application process. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

The economy is front-and-center of this year’s conference, which takes place just weeks before the new chancellor delivers the first budget of the Burnham government, setting out the approach to taxation and spending. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English chanceler, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin cancellarius doorkeeper, secretary, from cancellus

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing chancellor

• chancellor of the exchequer
• lord chancellor
• vice chancellor

Kids Definition

chancellor

noun

chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər 

1

: the chief minister of state in some European countries

2

: the head of a university

Legal Definition

chancellor

noun

chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan-sə-lər 

1

: the head of a chancery: as

a

: the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain

b

: a judge in a court of equity in various states

2

a

: a university president

b

: the chief executive officer in some state systems of higher education

3

: the chief minister of state in some European countries (as Germany)

Etymology

Old French chancelier royal secretary, from Late Latin cancellarius doorkeeper, clerk, from Latin cancellus latticework barrier