chancellor

noun

chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər How to pronounce chancellor (audio)
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 noun

Examples of chancellor in a Sentence

the new chancellor of the university
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The German chancellor is now seeking to use $160 billion in a loan for Kyiv. Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025 Before that, Milliken had been chancellor of the University of Texas beginning in 2018. Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025 Benjamin-Alvarado’s LinkedIn profile lists him as having served as a senior adviser to chancellor for University Culture from May 2022 to September 2025. Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2025 Which is also chancellor Rich Lyons’ goal, presumably. Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chancellor

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of chancellor was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chancellor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chancellor. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

chancellor

noun
chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər How to pronounce chancellor (audio)
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 How to pronounce chancellor (audio)
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

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