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 Web
Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
Related article Remote work crackdown: How Trump’s DOGE could push federal workers to quit
Musk also called out the Department of Energy’s chief climate officer in its loan programs office.
—Hadas Gold, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Jason Green, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
Five police officers who rescued residents from inside of the building were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, the police chief said.
—Nbc New York, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chief 
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Adjective
That should be good news for employers looking to boost worker morale, Kelly Baker, chief human resources officer at financial services organization Thrivent, tells Fortune.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
Related article Remote work crackdown: How Trump’s DOGE could push federal workers to quit
Musk also called out the Department of Energy’s chief climate officer in its loan programs office.
—Hadas Gold, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
Bates, who was on probation at the time, was eventually convicted of misdemeanor theft and resisting arrest, according to the chief.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
Five police officers who rescued residents from inside of the building were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, the police chief said.
—Nbc New York, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chief
Dictionary Entries Near chief
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chief
2 of 2 noun
: the head of a group : leader
chief of police
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