chieftaincy

noun

chief·​tain·​cy ˈchēf-tən-sē How to pronounce chieftaincy (audio)
plural chieftaincies
1
: the rank, dignity, office, or rule of a chieftain
2
: a region or a people ruled by a chief

Examples of chieftaincy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their regional chieftaincies, each headed by a leader known as a cacique, crumbled away. Robert M. Poole, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Oct. 2011

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chieftaincy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chieftaincy was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near chieftaincy

Cite this Entry

“Chieftaincy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chieftaincy. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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