chief justice

noun

: the presiding or principal judge of a court of justice

Examples of chief justice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

All five of its judges also sit on the FISC and are appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 30 July 2026

The five-judge tribunal, whose members are appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court, is modeled after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 30 July 2026

Dipke's party is the satirical group that has spearheaded the movement, named after a remark by the country’s chief justice of the supreme court comparing some unemployed young people to cockroaches. — ABC News, 23 July 2026

Writing for the court, the chief justice said the words of the 14th Amendment were clear and were clearly understood at the time. — Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for chief justice

• injustice

Kids Definition

chief justice

noun

: the presiding or principal judge of a court of justice

Legal Definition

chief justice

noun

: a chief judge of a usually higher level court

specifically, often capitalized : the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

chief justiceship noun