chief

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chief

(chēf)

1. One who is highest in rank or authority; a leader.

a. A chief petty officer.

b. Nautical The chief engineer of a ship.

3. Slang A supervisor; a boss.

4. Heraldry The upper section of a shield.

adj.

1. Highest in rank, authority, or office: the chief scientist in the lab.

2. Most important or influential: the chief ingredients in the stew. See Usage Note at absolute.

[Middle English chef, from Old French, from Latin caput, head; see kaput- in Indo-European roots.]

chief′dom n.

chief′ship′ n.

Synonyms: chief, foremost, leading¹, main, primary, prime, principal
These adjectives refer to what is first in rank, importance, or influence: his chief concern; the foremost scholar in her field; the leading cause of heart disease; the main building on campus; the primary purpose of the legislation; a prime example of wasteful spending; the principal figures in the plot.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

chief

(tʃiːf)

1. the head, leader, or most important individual in a group or body of people

2. another word for chieftain²

3. (Heraldry) heraldry the upper third of a shield

4. in chief primarily; especially

adj

(prenominal)

a. most important; principal

b. highest in rank or authority

adv

archaic principally

[C13: from Old French, from Latin caput head]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

chief

(tʃif)

n.

1. the head or leader of an organized body: the chief of police.

2. the ruler of a tribe or clan: an Indian chief.

3. boss ¹.

4. the upper area of a heraldic field.

adj.

5. highest in rank or authority.

6. most important; principal: the chief difficulty.

adv.

7. Archaic. chiefly.

Idioms:

in chief, highest in rank (used in combination): commander in chief.

[1250–1300; < Anglo-French chief, chef < Vulgar Latin *capum, Latin caput head]

chief′dom, n.

syn: See capital¹.

chef

– chief

1. 'chef'

A chef /ʃef/ is a cook in a hotel or restaurant.

Her recipe was passed on to the chef.

He works as a chef in a large Paris hotel.

2. 'chief'

The chief /tʃiːf/ of a group or organization is its leader.

The police chief has resigned.

I spoke to Jim Stretton, chief of UK operations.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	chief - a person who is in charge; "the head of the whole operation" top dog, head leader - a person who rules or guides or inspires others 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 superior general, 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
	2.	chief - a person who exercises control over workers; "if you want to leave early you have to ask the foreman" boss, foreman, honcho, gaffer 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 supervisor - one who supervises or has charge and direction of
	3.	chief - the head of a tribe or clan tribal chief, chieftain, headman leader - a person who rules or guides or inspires others Indian chief, Indian chieftain - the leader of a group of Native Americans pendragon - the supreme war chief of the ancient Britons
Adj.	1.	chief - most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch" main, master, principal, primary important, of import - of great significance or value; "important people"; "the important questions of the day"

chief

noun

1. head, leader, director, manager, lord, boss (informal), captain, master, governor, commander, principal, superior, ruler, superintendent, chieftain, ringleader, baas (S. African) The new leader is the deputy chief of the territory's defence force.
head subject, follower, subordinate

adjective

1. primary, highest, leading, main, prime, capital, central, key, essential, premier, supreme, most important, outstanding, principal, prevailing, cardinal, paramount, big-time (informal), foremost, major league (informal), predominant, uppermost, pre-eminent, especial Financial stress is acknowledged as a chief reason for divorce. The job went to one of his chief rivals.
primary least, minor, subsidiary, subordinate

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

chief

noun

1. One who is highest in rank or authority:

boss, chieftain, director, head, headman, hierarch, leader, master.

Slang: honcho.

Idiom: cock of the walk.

2. A professional politician who controls a party or political machine:

boss, leader.

3. Slang. Someone who directs and supervises workers:

boss, director, foreman, foreperson, forewoman, head, manager, overseer, superintendent, supervisor, taskmaster, taskmistress.

Informal: straw boss.

adjective

1. Having or exercising authority:

head, principal.

2. Most important, influential, or significant:

capital, cardinal, first, foremost, key, leading, main, major, number one, paramount, premier, primary, prime, principal, top.

Translations

رَئِيسرئيس، زَعيم قَبيلَهرئيسيرَئِيسيّ

vedoucíhlavnínáčelníkšéfhlava

chefhøvdinghoved-ledendeleder

Häuptling Oberhaupt wichtigster Chef Haupt-...

αρχηγός κύριος

jefe capital en jefe

pää-päällikkö

chef principal maître

glavnišef

æîstur, yfir-aîal-; helstur

capo comandante in capo principale

･･･長主要な

우두머리제1의

vadas

galvenaispriekšnieksvadītājsvadonisvirsaitis

leider voornaamst

leder over-sjefs-viktigst

główny szef

chefe

вождь главный начальник руководитель старший

poglavarpoglavitenpoveljnik

huvud-ledare

ผู้นำสำคัญ

şef baş başlıcaen önemlilider

người đứng đầutrưởng

首要的首领首长部落族长或酋长

chief

[tʃiːf]

A. ADJ (= principal) [reason etc] → principal, mayor; (in rank) → jefe, de más categoría

B. N [of organization] → jefe/a m/f; [of tribe] → jefe/a m/f, cacique m (= boss) → jefe/a m/f, patrón(ona) m/f
yes, chief! → ¡sí, jefe!
Chief of Staff (Mil) → Jefe del Estado Mayor
... in chief → ... en jefe

C. CPD chief constable N (Brit) → jefe/a m/f de policía
chief executive N (Brit) (local government) → director(a) m/f; [of company] (also chief executive officer) → director(a) m/f general
chief inspector N (Brit) (Police) → inspector(a) m/f jefe
chief justice N (US) → presidente/a m/f del Tribunal Supremo
chief superintendent N (Brit) (Police) → comisario/a m/f jefe/a

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

chief

[ˈtʃiːf]

(= boss) → chef m
the chief of security → le chef de la sécurité

(tribal) → chef m

adj → principal(e)
His chief reason for resigning was the low pay → La principale raison de sa démission était son mauvais salaire.chief assistant n → premier/ière assistant(e) m/fchief constable n (British) → directeur/trice m/f de policechief executive chief executive officer (US) n → directeur/trice m/f général(e)chief inspector n (British) → inspecteur/trice m/f de police principal(e)Chief Justice n → président(e) m/f de la Cour suprême

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

chief

n pl <-s>

(of organization) → Leiter(in) m(f), → Chef(in) m(f) (inf); (of clan) → Oberhaupt nt; (of tribe) → Häuptling m; (of gang) → Anführer(in) m(f); (inf: = boss) → Boss m (inf), → Chef m; chief of police → Polizeipräsident(in) or -chef(in) m(f); chief of staff (Mil) → Stabschef(in) m(f); chief of state → Staatschef(in) m(f)

(Her) → Schildhaupt nt

in chief → hauptsächlich

adj

(= most important) → Haupt-, wichtigste(r, s), bedeutendste(r, s); the chief thing → das Wichtigste, die Hauptsache; chief reason → Hauptgrund m

(= most senior) → Haupt-, Ober-, erste(r); chief clerk → Bürochef m; chief executive officer → Hauptgeschäftsführer(in) m(f), → Generaldirektor(in) m(f), → Vorstandsvorsitzende(r) m(f); Chief Secretary (to the Treasury) (Brit Pol) → stellvertretender Finanzminister, stellvertretende Finanzministerin; chief of staff → (General)stabschef(in) m(f)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

chief

[tʃiːf]

1. adj (principal, reason) → principale; (in rank) → capo inv
chief steward (Aer) → commissario di bordo

2. n → capo

chief

(tʃiːf) adjective

greatest in importance etc. the chief cause of disease.

noun

the head of a clan or tribe, or a department, business etc.

ˈchiefly adverb

mainly. She became ill chiefly because she did not eat enough.

ˌchief eˈxecutive ˌofficer noun

(also CEO) the president of a large company.

ˈchieftain (-tən) noun

the head of a clan, tribe etc.

chief

→ رَئِيس, رَئِيسيّ hlavní, vedoucí chef, ledende Oberhaupt, wichtigster αρχηγός, κύριος en jefe, jefe pää-, päällikkö chef, principal glavni, šef capo ･･･長, 主要な 우두머리, 제1의 leider, voornaamst leder, sjefs- główny, szef chefe руководитель, старший huvud-, ledare ผู้นำ, สำคัญ baş, şef người đứng đầu, trưởng 首要的, 首领

chief

n. jefe-a;

___ complaint → queja principal.

References in classic literature ?

Therefore there enters into the former game not only the strategy of jetan but the personal prowess and bravery of each individual piece, so that a knowledge not only of one's own men but of each player upon the opposing side is of vast value to a chief.

View in context

Nez Perce camp A chief with a hard name The Big Hearts of the East Hospitable treatment The Indian guides Mysterious councils The loquacious chief Indian tomb Grand Indian reception An Indian feast Town-criers Honesty of the Nez Perces The captain's attempt at healing.

View in context

In order to make the children sensible of the pitiable condition of these men, Grandfather singled out Peter Oliver, chief justice of Massachusetts under the crown, and imagined him walking through the streets of Boston on the morning before he left it forever.

View in context

Chief Inspector Heat of the Special Crimes Department changed his tone.

View in context

When the gates had been once more secured the self-confidence of the savages returned, and as Tarzan walked up the village street toward the chief's hut he was surrounded by a host of curious men, women, and children.

View in context

"Come with me to my dwelling and I'll introduce you to my daughters," said the Chief. "We're bringing them up according to a book of rules that was written by one of our leading old bachelors, and everyone says they're a remarkable lot of girls."

View in context

The chief policeman of the quarter came running up, and found a Christian ill-treating a Mussulman.

View in context

On asking the chief the use of them, he replied, that if two or three of his men were shot, their neighbours would not see the bodies, and so be discouraged.

View in context

One, a fine-looking man, much above the common size, was hereditary chief of the village; he was called the Left-handed, on account of a personal peculiarity.

View in context

A CHIEF of Police who had seen an Officer beating a Thug was very indignant, and said he must not do so any more on pain of dismissal.

View in context

High up the Rewa, at the village of a chief, Mongondro by name, John Starhurst rested at the end of the second day of the journey.

View in context

The Emperor was with the first army, but not as commander in chief. In the orders issued it was stated, not that the Emperor would take command, but only that he would be with the army.