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

Rishi Sunak, as chancellor, even temporarily cut fuel duty by 5p a litre in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine, but Reeves, prior to the attack on Iran, had planned to phase this out after September. —Ian King, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2026

In his former role, the now-chancellor implemented similar reforms in Harlem, which earned him the praises of his colleagues for coming up with creative solutions to a citywide problem of enrollment declines, though generating pushback in the local community. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026

She was recently named a finalist for the position of New York City Public Schools chancellor under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but did not receive the position. —Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026

José Francisco Pérez Mackenna took the oath as chancellor, while María Trinidad Steinert became the minister of security and Fernando Rabat assumed office as minister of justice and human rights. —Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 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