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
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 him—
Jane Austen
Jane AustenExamples 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
David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Previously, Gray spent more than 13 years at Adidas with his most recent role as senior business unit director of U.S. basketball and was the chief marketing officer at sports supplement brand Ladder, cofounded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
—Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2025
Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar will serve in the role until April 10, but that could change depending on when a replacement for him is found.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chief
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The upturn was the result of somewhat lower mortgage interest rates and more homes for sale, said Jordan Levine, senior vice president and chief economist at the California Association of Realtors.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Previously, Gray spent more than 13 years at Adidas with his most recent role as senior business unit director of U.S. basketball and was the chief marketing officer at sports supplement brand Ladder, cofounded by LeBron James and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
—Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
Sam Sabin Mar 13, 2025 - Politics & Policy
Elon Musk pays a visit to the National Security Agency
Elon Musk visited the National Security Agency on Wednesday and met with NSA chief Gen. Timothy Haugh, an agency spokesperson confirmed to Axios.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
Current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar will serve in the role until April 10, but that could change depending on when a replacement for him is found.
—Rachel Wolf, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chief
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chief
2 of 2 noun
: the head of a group : leader
chief of police
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