1
: accorded highest rank or office
chief librarian
the company's chief executive
2
: of greatest importance or influence
the chief reasons
their chief accomplishment
1
: the upper part of a heraldic field
2
: the head of a body of persons or an organization : leader
chief of police
3
: the principal or most valuable part
would never rest till she had read the chief of the letter to him—
Jane Austen
Jane AustenExamples of chief in a Sentence
Adjective
the chief engineer on the project
Her job is their chief source of income.
He has many concerns, chief among them his health.
Noun
the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son
our chief is out on a business trip right now
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Ellison has made a series of C-level hires since the deal closed, including Makan Delrahim, who advised Skydance on its acquisition of Paramount Global, as chief legal officer; former Meta exec Dane Glasgow as chief product officer; and Roku’s Jay Askinasi as chief revenue officer.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Back when Adam Silver was a young executive at the NBA, the future commissioner would occasionally venture over to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol held court.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chief
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Adjective
Perhaps not surprisingly, the paper’s conspicuous treatment of crime news in his city ranked among the mayor’s chief objections to business as usual in the newsroom.
—Nick Woltman, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
Ellison has made a series of C-level hires since the deal closed, including Makan Delrahim, who advised Skydance on its acquisition of Paramount Global, as chief legal officer; former Meta exec Dane Glasgow as chief product officer; and Roku’s Jay Askinasi as chief revenue officer.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
The trailer gave a glimpse of Vince's son Bode (Max Thieriot) giving a speech in his honor, as well as a look at how the character's death sent ripples throughout the community, which is now in search of a new battalion chief.
—Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Back when Adam Silver was a young executive at the NBA, the future commissioner would occasionally venture over to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where NBC Sports chief Dick Ebersol held court.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chief
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chief
2 of 2 noun
: the head of a group : leader
chief of police
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