Chief - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT chief /tʃif/ /tʃif/ IPA guide

Other forms: chiefs; chiefest

A chief is a leader, often of a tribe or clan. Sometimes we call the president our "commander in chief."

A chief is the head honcho, the big cheese, the top dog. Tribes are lead by chiefs, but so are firefighters (fire chief), policeman (police chief), and companies (Chief Executive Officer or CEO). When used as an adjective, chief describes the most important element or main ingredient of something. You couldn't make mac and cheese without the chief ingredients: macaroni and cheese.

Definitions of chief

noun the head of a tribe or clan synonyms: chieftain, headman, tribal chief see moresee less examples: Owen Glendower Welsh chieftain who led a revolt against Henry IV's rule in Wales (1359-1416) Hrolf Norse chieftain who became the first duke of Normandy (860-931) types: Indian chief, Indian chieftain the leader of a group of Native Americans pendragon the supreme war chief of the ancient Britons sachem, sagamore a chief of a North American tribe or confederation (especially an Algonquian chief) type of: leader a person who rules or guides or inspires others
noun a person who is in charge synonyms: head, top dog see moresee less types: show 39 types... hide 39 types... administrator, executive someone who manages a government agency or department administrator, decision maker someone who administers a business capo the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate department head the head of a department don, father the head of an organized crime family general, superior general the head of a religious order or congregation general manager the highest ranking manager grand dragon a high ranking person in the Ku Klux Klan head of household the head of a household or family or tribe secretary a person who is head of an administrative department of government academic administrator an administrator in a college or university commissioner a government administrator director, manager, managing director someone who controls resources and expenditures DCI, Director of Central Intelligence the head of the United States Intelligence Community and director of the Central Intelligence Agency executive, executive director a person responsible for the administration of a business hosteller, hotel manager, hotelier, hotelkeeper, hotelman an owner or manager of hotels land agent a person who administers a landed estate materfamilias, matriarch a female head of a family or tribe paterfamilias, patriarch the male head of family or tribe prefect a chief officer or chief magistrate Attorney General, US Attorney General, United States Attorney General the person who holds the position of secretary of the Justice Department Agriculture Secretary, Secretary of Agriculture the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Agriculture Commerce Secretary, Secretary of Commerce the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Commerce Defense Secretary, Secretary of Defense the person who holds the secretaryship of the Defense Department Education Secretary, Secretary of Education the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Education Energy Secretary, Secretary of Energy the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Energy Secretary of Health and Human Services the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Labor Secretary, Secretary of Labor the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Labor Secretary of State the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of State Interior Secretary, Secretary of the Interior the person who holds the secretaryship of the Interior Department Secretary of the Treasury, Treasury Secretary the person who holds the secretaryship of the Treasury Department Secretary of Transportation, Transportation Secretary the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Transportation Secretary of Veterans Affairs the person who holds the secretaryship of the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary General a person who is a chief administrator (as of the United Nations) security director head of a private security force working for a business or industry triumvir one of a group of three sharing public administration or civil authority especially in ancient Rome undersecretary a secretary immediately subordinate to the head of a department of government vice chancellor a deputy or assistant to someone bearing the title of chancellor type of: leader a person who rules or guides or inspires others
noun a person who exercises control over workers synonyms: boss, foreman, gaffer, honcho see moresee less types: baas South African term for `boss' ganger the foreman of a work gang assistant foreman, straw boss a member of a work gang who supervises the other workers type of: supervisor one who supervises or has charge and direction of
adjective most important element “the chief aim of living” synonyms: main, master, primary, principal important, of import of great significance or value

Pronunciation US /tʃif/ UK /tʃif/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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