chief of staff

noun phrase

1
: the ranking officer of a staff in the armed forces serving as principal adviser to a commander
2
: the ranking officer of the army or air force and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Examples of chief of staff in a Sentence

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.
Houser is an Afghanistan combat veteran who was ICE chief of staff during the Biden administration. Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 28 June 2025 Jordan Wood, who served as chief of staff to former Representative Katie Porter, a California Democrat, is also running. Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025 Diddy's former chief of staff was brought up in testimony from Cassie; Diddy's ex, Jane; and each of his former personal assistants. Lauryn Overhultz , Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025 Moyers acted as the president’s informal chief of staff from October 1964 until 1966. Carmel Dagan, Variety, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for chief of staff

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chief of staff was in 1862

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chief of staff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief%20of%20staff. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

chief of staff

1
: the ranking officer of a staff in the armed forces who advises a commander
2
: the ranking officer of the army or air force
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!