'Chief' definitions:
Definition of 'chief'
From: WordNet
adjective
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" [syn: chief(a), main(a), primary(a), principal(a), master(a)]
noun
noun
A person who exercises control over workers; "if you want to leave early you have to ask the foreman" [syn: foreman, chief, gaffer, honcho, boss]
noun
Definition of 'Chief'
From: GCIDE
- Chief \Chief\, a.
- 1. Highest in office or rank; principal; head. "Chief rulers." --John. xii. 42. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Principal or most eminent in any quality or action; most distinguished; having most influence; taking the lead; most important; as, the chief topic of conversation; the chief interest of man. [1913 Webster]
- 3. Very intimate, near, or close. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
- A whisperer separateth chief friends. --Prov. xvi. 28.
- Syn: Principal; head; leading; main; paramount; supreme; prime; vital; especial; great; grand; eminent; master. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Chief'
From: GCIDE
- Chief \Chief\ (ch[=e]n), n. [OE. chief, chef, OF. chief, F. chef, fr. L. caput head, possibly akin to E. head. Cf. Captain, Chapter]
- 1. The head or leader of any body of men; a commander, as of an army; a head man, as of a tribe, clan, or family; a person in authority who directs the work of others; the principal actor or agent. [1913 Webster]
- 2. The principal part; the most valuable portion. [1913 Webster]
- The chief of the things which should be utterly destroyed. --1 Sam. xv. 21 [1913 Webster]
- 3. (Her.) The upper third part of the field. It is supposed to be composed of the dexter, sinister, and middle chiefs. [1913 Webster]
- In chief. (a) At the head; as, a commander in chief. (b) (Eng. Law) From the king, or sovereign; as, tenure in chief, tenure directly from the king.
- Syn: Chieftain; captain; general; commander; leader; head; principal; sachem; sagamore; sheik.
- Usage: Chief, chieftain, Commander, Leader. These words fluctuate somewhat in their meaning according to circumstances, but agree in the general idea of rule and authority. The term chief is now more usually applied to one who is a head man, leader, or commander in civil or military affairs, or holds a hereditary or acquired rank in a tribe or clan; as, the chief of police; the chief of an Indian tribe. A chieftain is the chief of a clan or tribe, or a military leader. A commander directs the movements of or has control over a body of men, as a military or naval force. A leader is one whom men follow, as in a political party, a legislative body, a military or scientific expedition, etc., one who takes the command and gives direction in particular enterprises. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'chief'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- A per se,
- ace,
- achievement,
- acmatic,
- alerion,
- all-absorbing,
- animal charge,
- annulet,
- anointed king,
- antecedent,
- anterior,
- apical,
- arch,
- argent,
- armorial bearings,
- armory,
- arms,
- ascendant,
- at the head,
- auditor,
- azure,
- bandeau,
- banner,
- bar,
- bar sinister,
- baton,
- bearings,
- bend,
- bend sinister,
- Big Brother,
- big cheese,
- big wheel,
- big-timer,
- bigwig,
- billet,
- blazon,
- blazonry,
- boatswain,
- bordure,
- boss,
- broad arrow,
- bwana,
- cadency mark,
- canton,
- capital,
- captain,
- cardinal,
- central,
- champion,
- chaplet,
- charge,
- chef,
- chevron,
- chieftain,
- church dignitary,
- coat of arms,
- cock,
- cockatrice,
- commander,
- commanding,
- comptroller,
- consequential,
- consummate,
- controller,
- controlling,
- coronet,
- crescent,
- crest,
- cross,
- cross moline,
- crown,
- crowned head,
- crowning,
- dean,
- device,
- dictator,
- difference,
- differencing,
- dignitary,
- directing,
- directive,
- directorial,
- directory,
- dominant,
- doyen,
- doyenne,
- duce,
- dynast,
- eagle,
- ecclesiarch,
- effective,
- elder,
- electronics king,
- eminence,
- emperor,
- employer,
- ermine,
- ermines,
- erminites,
- erminois,
- escutcheon,
- essential,
- exordial,
- falcon,
- fess,
- fess point,
- field,
- file,
- first,
- first and foremost,
- flanch,
- fleur-de-lis,
- floor manager,
- floorman,
- floorwalker,
- focal,
- fore,
- foregoing,
- forehand,
- foreman,
- foremost,
- forward,
- fret,
- front,
- frontal,
- fugleman,
- fuhrer,
- fur,
- fusil,
- gaffer,
- ganger,
- garland,
- general,
- genius,
- goodman,
- governing,
- governor,
- grand duke,
- great,
- greatest,
- griffin,
- guiding,
- gules,
- guru,
- gyron,
- hatchment,
- head,
- heading,
- headman,
- headmost,
- hegemonic,
- hegemonistic,
- helmet,
- heraldic device,
- hierarch,
- high chief,
- high priest,
- higher-up,
- highest,
- himself,
- honcho,
- honor point,
- husband,
- impalement,
- impaling,
- imperator,
- important,
- important person,
- in ascendancy,
- in charge,
- in chief,
- in the ascendant,
- inescutcheon,
- initiatory,
- inspector,
- key,
- king,
- king-emperor,
- kingfish,
- kinglet,
- kingpin,
- label,
- laureate,
- lead,
- leader,
- leading,
- leading light,
- liege,
- liege lord,
- lion,
- lord,
- lord paramount,
- lozenge,
- luminary,
- magisterial,
- maiden,
- main,
- majesty,
- major,
- man,
- manager,
- managerial,
- managing,
- mantling,
- marshaling,
- martlet,
- mascle,
- master,
- master spirit,
- maximal,
- maximum,
- meridian,
- meridional,
- metal,
- momentous,
- monarch,
- monitor,
- motto,
- mullet,
- nombril point,
- noncommissioned officer,
- nonpareil,
- notability,
- number one,
- octofoil,
- or,
- ordinary,
- orle,
- outstanding,
- overlord,
- overman,
- overmost,
- overriding,
- overruling,
- overseer,
- padrone,
- pale,
- paly,
- paragon,
- paramount,
- paterfamilias,
- patriarch,
- patron,
- pean,
- personage,
- petty king,
- pheon,
- potent,
- potentate,
- precedent,
- preceding,
- precessional,
- precursory,
- predominant,
- predominate,
- preeminent,
- prefatory,
- preliminary,
- preludial,
- prelusive,
- premier,
- preparatory,
- prepollent,
- preponderant,
- preponderate,
- prepotent,
- prevailing,
- prevalent,
- prevenient,
- prima donna,
- primal,
- primary,
- prime,
- prince,
- prince consort,
- principal,
- prior,
- proctor,
- prodigy,
- proemial,
- prominent,
- propaedeutic,
- purpure,
- quarter,
- quartering,
- rabbi,
- ranking,
- regnant,
- regulating,
- regulative,
- regulatory,
- reigning,
- ringleader,
- rose,
- royal,
- royal personage,
- royalty,
- ruler,
- ruling,
- sable,
- sahib,
- saltire,
- scutcheon,
- seigneur,
- seignior,
- senior,
- shield,
- significant,
- sirdar,
- slave driver,
- sovereign,
- spread eagle,
- star,
- starets,
- stellar,
- straw boss,
- subforeman,
- subordinary,
- summital,
- super,
- supereminent,
- superintendent,
- superior,
- superman,
- superstar,
- supervisor,
- supreme,
- surveyor,
- suzerain,
- taskmaster,
- teacher,
- telling,
- tenne,
- tetrarch,
- the greatest,
- the most,
- tincture,
- tip-top,
- top,
- top dog,
- topflight,
- topmost,
- torse,
- tressure,
- ultimate,
- unicorn,
- upmost,
- uppermost,
- vair,
- vert,
- vertical,
- virtuoso,
- visitor,
- weighty,
- wreath,
- yale,
- zenithal
Words containing 'Chief'
- In chief,
- Chief Lake,
- Chief baron,
- Chief hare,
- Chief justice,
- Commander in chief,
- Dexter chief,
- Examination in chief,
- Little chief,
- Sinister chief,
- Tenant in chief,
- arab chief,
- chief assistant,
- chief constable,
- chief executive,
- chief joseph,
- chief of staff,
- chief of state,
- chief of the three,
- chief priest,
- chief secretary,
- chiefs of asia,
- editor in chief,
- fire chief,
- in-chief,
- indian chief,
- joint chiefs,
- musician chief,
- police chief,
- tribal chief,
- Chief Lake, WI,
- Chief-justiceship,
- Little chief hare,
- chief executive officer,
- chief financial officer,
- chief operating officer,
- chief petty officer,
- chief water tender,
- joint chiefs of staff,
- Chief Justice of the United States,
- Lord Chief Justice of England,
- senior chief petty officer