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 AustenSynonyms
Examples 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 WebKatie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
Hughes will oversee newsroom and content strategy alongside Noah Callahan-Bever, formerly an EVP at Def Jam Records and Complex’s one-time EIC and chief content officer, who has rejoined the company after a six-year hiatus.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for chief 
Adjective
Union members marched to executives’ offices, handed out pamphlets in front of global chief content officer Anna Wintour’s residence and threatened to strike the Met Gala before the tentative deal was reached last minute.
—Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
Hughes will oversee newsroom and content strategy alongside Noah Callahan-Bever, formerly an EVP at Def Jam Records and Complex’s one-time EIC and chief content officer, who has rejoined the company after a six-year hiatus.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for chief
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chief.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near chief
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chief
2 of 2 noun
: the head of a group : leader
chief of police
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