plural chiefs
: the person who is the leader of a group of people, of an organization, etc.
She's the chief of surgery [=the doctor who is in charge of the surgical department] at the hospital.
the police chief = the chief of police
the fire chief [=the head of a department of firefighters]
an Indian chief [=the leader of a tribe of Native Americans]
always used before a noun
1
: highest in rank or authority
the chief engineer on the project
the company's chief executive
2
: most important : main
Her job is their chief source of income.
their chief accomplishment
our chief competitor
He has many concerns, chief among them his health.
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/chief. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
