chief

noun

The leader or head of a tribe, organisation, business unit, or other group.

(uncountable, only with "in") Headship, the status of being a chief or leader.

The principal part or top of anything.

(sometimes ironic) An informal term of address.

(offensive) An informal term of address for a Native American or First Nations man.

(heraldry) The top part of a shield or escutcheon; more specifically, an ordinary consisting of the upper part of the field cut off by a horizontal line, generally occupying the top third.

verb

(slang) To smoke cannabis.

adjective

Primary; principal.

(Scotland) Intimate, friendly.

Roots

caputchief- · Latin · head

Synonyms for chief

headmann honchon chieftainn bossn headn foremann commandern fuglemann superintendentn leadern principaladj overseern gaffern managern supervisorn

Synonyms & related words for chief

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of chief — including headman, honcho, chieftain, boss, head, foreman. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to chief

Explore words related to chief — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include deputy, jefe, officer, chairman, chiefdom, director, nomarch, executive. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for chief

Common synonyms for chief include headman, honcho, chieftain, boss, head, foreman, commander, fugleman — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does chief come from?

The word chief breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root chief-, from Latin caput (“head”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.