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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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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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
Platte County Auditor The Platte County Auditor serves as the chief accountant, financial watchdog, and budget officer for the county. — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026 The fellow Scotsman entered royal service around the time the king took the English throne, becoming Clockmaker-Extraordinary in 1613 and then chief clockmaker in 1618. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
On October 5 European Space Agency chief Josef Aschbacher proposed investing €10 billion (about 11 billion USD) over the next decade to develop a new launch system to deliver astronauts to orbit. — Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026 Last year’s event in Liverpool featured the likes of Channel 4 boss Priya Dogra and Sony international productions chief Wayne Garvie. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 Nov. 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
  • In 2019, a train lost control while approaching Cairo’s main station in Ramses Square, igniting a fire that killed 25 people.
    — Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Tens of thousands of people packed Florida’s main square for the Mass under brilliant blue skies, some walking for several kilometers (miles) to reach the site.
    — Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • The bigger problem, explained one of the world’s foremost experts on longevity, is timing.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Astaire is the world's foremost exponent of that particular variety of heart throb!
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of foremost
Noun
  • The compact pouch is designed to hold small essentials against your body, and its soft, breathable, skin-friendly fabric is a thoughtful detail for warmer destinations where extra layers aren’t practical.
    — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members -- two women and a man -- inside of his home in Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski, a city about 100 miles northeast of Krakow.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of body
Noun
  • City leaders see the measure as a way to make housing more accessible to young families and boost declining enrollment in the Davis Joint Unified School District, which is weighing school closures.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Luna pitched himself to county voters as a calmly effective operator who has brought down crime while building relationships with local, state and federal leaders that suffered under his predecessor’s tenure.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of leader
Adjective
  • Party organizations were strong, our legislative allies were aligned, and labor held significant influence within the primary process.
    — Denis Hughes, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Much of his campaign was run against the Democratic establishment, with his primary opponent backed by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
    — Joey Cappelletti, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • Also contributing to losses were the commanding Democratic victories across the country in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026
  • As a young teenager, I was immediately captivated by his commanding presence and charisma portraying King Leodegrance of Cameliard — Queen Guinevere’s noble father and a cunning warrior.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of commanding
Noun
  • The backstory The first Mandarin Oriental hotel—then called The Mandarin—opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1963 and has remained central to the hotel group’s core values, despite global expansion.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Acer laptop earned top marks in both the Cinebench and Geekbench single-core CPU tests, and came in a respectable second place for the Cinebench multi-core and HandBrake video conversion tests.
    — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of core
Noun
  • But snakes gonna slither, so Vance (who, to be fair, was never that into this war) is using the moment to subtly blame Hegseth, and the blow seems to have landed, with his party, and with his boss.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • This time, however, the boss breaking the bad news is played by Dunham herself.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of boss

Phrases Containing chief

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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 9 Nov. 2026.

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