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chief 1 of 2

adjective

ˈchēf How to pronounce chief (audio)
Definition of chiefnext
1
as in main
coming before all others in importance our chief priority this year will be cutting the budget

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2
as in presiding
highest in rank or authority the chief administrator will be retiring soon

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

chief

2 of 2

noun

1
as in body
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do our chief is out on a business trip right now

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of chief
Adjective
This year’s conference will feature a moderated conversation between Obama and Peter Mallouk, the company’s president and chief financial officer. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026 At the same time, Mike Grimes was appointed chief marketing officer for JD Group. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
Separately, Boulos declined to confirm or deny that Washington withheld a UN General Assembly visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. — Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The cuts to Goddard and NASA’s overall science and exploration mission will have implications for decades to come, according to Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at the Planetary Society. — Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chief
  1. main
  2. foremost
  3. body
  4. leader
  5. primary
  6. commanding
  7. core
  8. boss
Adjective
  • The delay again has created a potential cash crunch for districts during the wait for their cut — often a main revenue source for local governments — and added to the pile of complaints about the county’s decade-long property tax system upgrade.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • This sandwich gives main character energy, but don’t skip over the other items available at BoJaynes, from specialty spices to wraps.
    — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • Founded in 1937, the Fashion Scholarship Fund is the fashion industry’s foremost education and workforce development nonprofit.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Making the roster more functional will be the foremost objective for whomever Crane chooses to replace Brown.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of foremost
Noun
  • Tony Forte, president of USAngling, the sanctioning body, said the tournament will be a showcase to persuade the International Olympic Committee to include bass fishing at the Summer Olympics.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • And there’s also all these preconceived notions about you that are out there that are associated with [you] because your body is your art, right?
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of body
Noun
  • Instead of calling for calm and letting the justice system work, too many political leaders on the left and progressive social influencers either fanned the flames of unrest or failed to act until enormous damage was done.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The leader of the FLDS is Warren Jeffs, who in 2011 was sentenced to life in prison in a case that received significant media attention.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of leader
Adjective
  • Orbit is Flight 14’s primary focus, and only by achieving that milestone can SpaceX move on to clear the rocket’s remaining hurdles.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The primary bedroom overlooks the High Line, with an en-suite bathroom that has a separate soaking tub and glass shower stall.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • Kirkwood had a commanding lead before Palou's spin caused a caution.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Adrián Marín set up the play with his pass to Tiago as Orlando took what seemed to be a commanding lead in the second half.
    — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of commanding
Noun
  • The experiments were not designed to demonstrate ignition or fusion gain, but to isolate and test this core compression principle.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Shown on a 35mm print at Lincoln Center, this North American premiere was warmly received, with the core cast all on hand.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of core
Noun
  • Earlier in my career, if my boss asked me for something, my instinct was to stay late and finish it immediately.
    — John Abusaid, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The script has been ordered by a studio run by a coterie of women, with Mira Sorvino (in one of many cameos) playing the crazy boss, until they’re all replaced by a bunch of men and their crazy boss.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of boss

Phrases Containing chief

Browse Nearby Words

chiding
chief
chief justice
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Cite this Entry

“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chief. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chief

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