chief

1 of 3

adjective

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

chief

2 of 3

adverb

archaic

chief

3 of 3

noun

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 himJane Austen
chiefship noun
Phrases
in chief
: in the chief position or place
often used in titles
commander in chief

Examples 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
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.
Adjective
Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer, leads human resources at the company. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025 Which brings us to one of the big reasons that Ferbert — then chief deputy city attorney — won in her 2024 run for city attorney. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2025
Noun
He was jailed and later released on bond, and is on administrative leave pending additional review by the chief. Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 22 July 2025 The couple are reportedly Andy Bryon, CEO of tech company Astronomer, and human resources chief Kristin Cabot, according to TMZ. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for chief

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef head, chief, from Latin caput head — more at head

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chief was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

chief

1 of 2 adjective
1
: highest in rank or authority
chief librarian
2
: most important : main
your chief claim to fame

chief

2 of 2 noun
: the head of a group : leader
chief of police
Etymology

Noun

Middle English chief "top part, head," from early French chief "head, chief," from Latin caput "head" — related to capital, captain

More from Merriam-Webster on chief

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