Chief — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun /ˈchēf/

Meaning & Definition of Chief

Chief (adjective)

  1. accorded highest rank or office
  2. of greatest importance or influence

Chief (adverb)

  1. chiefly

Chief (noun)

  1. the upper part of a heraldic field
  2. the head of a body of persons or an organization, leader
  3. the principal or most valuable part

Chief (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. coming before all others in importance

    "our chief priority this year will be cutting the budget"

    similar: arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, dominant, first, foremost, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one, numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign, supreme
    related: distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior, high-level, senior, top, important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant, incomparable, matchless, unequaled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, celebrated, famed, famous, renowned
    opposite: last, least
    near: inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant, collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary

  2. highest in rank or authority

    "the chief administrator will be retiring soon"

    similar: commanding, first, foremost, head, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, prime, principal, supereminent, supreme, top, in charge
    related: high-level, senior, controlling, directing, managing, officiating, overseeing, regnant, reigning, ruling, supervisory, main, major, paramount, predominant, predominate, sovereign, ascendant, dominant, grand, superior, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermost
    near: ancillary, inferior, last, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary, assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under

Chief (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts

    "the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son"

    similar: body, brunt, bulk, core, generality, heft (archaic), main, mass, staple, weight
    related: majority, aggregate, amount, entirety, quantum, sum, sum total, total, totality, whole, bottom, essence, essentiality, marrow, meat, nature, pith, quintessence, root, soul, stuff, substance, center, heart, hub, kernel, middle, nucleus, nut, seat, affair, argument, burden, crux, focus, gist, nub, pitch, point, purport, matter, motif, subject, text, theme, topic
    near: accessory, adjunct, appendage, extension, offshoot, component, constituent, element, ingredient, division, part, piece, section, segment, angle, aspect, facet, feature, quality, side

  2. 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"

    similar: boss, boss man, captain, foreman, head, headman, helmsman, honcho, jefe, kingpin, leader, master, taskmaster
    related: directress, mistress, administrator, commander, director, executive, general, governor, hierarch, higher-up, leadman, manager, overseer, principal, skipper, standard-bearer, steward, straw boss, superintendent, superior, supervisor, dominator, lord, overlord, potentate, ruler, sovereign, figurehead, baron, czar, king, magnate, mogul, president, prince, big cheese, big gun, bigwig, top dog, top gun, cohead, coleader, employer, gaffer (British), ganger (British), micromanager, subchief, subdirector
    near: dependent, inferior, junior, secondary, subject, subordinate, underling

Related Entry: Chief justice (noun)

Chief justice is a different word from Chief. The synonyms below are for chief justice, not for chief.

  1. as in circuit judge, justice of the peace

    similar: circuit judge, justice of the peace, squire, adjudicator, beak (chiefly British), bench, court, judge, jurist, justice, magistrate, auditor, master, jurisconsult, jurisprudent

Related Entry: Chief justices (noun)

Chief justices is a different word from Chief. The synonyms below are for chief justices, not for chief.

  1. as in circuit judges, justices of the peace

    similar: circuit judges, justices of the peace, squires, adjudicators, beaks (chiefly British), benches, courts, judges, jurists, justices, magistrates, auditors, masters, jurisconsults, jurisprudents

Related Entry: Commander in chief (phrase)

Commander in chief is a different word from Chief. The synonyms below are for commander in chief, not for chief.

  1. one in official command especially of a military force or base

    "Everyone stopped talking when the commander in chief walked in."

    similar: captain, commandant, commander, commanding officer
    related: commissioned officer, field officer

Related Entry: Commanders in chief (phrase)

Commanders in chief is a different word from Chief. The synonyms below are for commanders in chief, not for chief.

  1. one in official command especially of a military force or base

    "Everyone stopped talking when the commander in chief walked in."

    similar: captains, commandants, commanders, commanding officers
    related: commissioned officers, field officers

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Chief

The most common words with a similar meaning to Chief:

Archaic: heft
arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, dominant, first, foremost, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one, numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign, supreme, commanding, head, high, lead, presiding, prime, supereminent, top, in charge

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Chief

Words with the opposite meaning of Chief:

last, least

Related Words for Chief

distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior, high-level, senior, important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant, incomparable, matchless, unequaled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, celebrated, famed, famous, renowned, controlling

Near Antonyms of Chief

inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant, collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary, ancillary, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under, accessory, adjunct, appendage, extension

Word Forms of Chief

Derived words: chiefship (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Chief

Middle English, from Anglo-French chief, chef head, chief, from Latin caput head head

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Chief

Words & Phrases Containing Chief

chief executive, chief justice, chief master sergeant, chief master sergeant of the air force, chief of naval operations, chief of staff, chief of state

Frequently Asked Questions about Chief

What does "Chief" mean?

"Chief" means accorded highest rank or office. As an an adjective, an adverb and a noun, it is defined as: accorded highest rank or office. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Chief"?

Other words for "Chief" include arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, dominant, first and foremost. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Chief" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Chief"?

There are 195 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Chief". Common alternatives include arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, dominant, first, foremost, grand and great.

What is the opposite of "Chief"?

Antonyms of "Chief" include last and least. Near antonyms include inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant and minor.

How do you use "Chief" in a sentence?

Examples of "Chief" in a sentence: "our chief priority this year will be cutting the budget"; "the chief administrator will be retiring soon"; "the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son".

Is "Chief" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Chief" can be used as an adjective, an adverb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Chief" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Chief" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Chief"?

"Chief" is pronounced /ˈchēf/.