Chief

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Adverb

CIDE DICTIONARY

Chief, n. [OE. chief, chef, OF. chief, F. chef, fr. L. caput head, possibly akin to E. head. Cf. Captain, Chapter].

•  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]
•  The principal part; the most valuable portion.  [1913 Webster]

  "The chief of the things which should be utterly destroyed."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.

Chief, a. 

•  Highest in office or rank; principal; head.  John. xii. 42.  [1913 Webster]
•  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]
•  Very intimate, near, or close.  [1913 Webster]

  "A whisperer separateth chief friends."

Syn. -- Principal; head; leading; main; paramount; supreme; prime; vital; especial; great; grand; eminent; master.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Chief, n. & adj.
--n.
1 a a leader or ruler. b the head of a tribe, clan, etc.
2 the head of a department; the highest official.
3 Heraldry the upper third of a shield.
--adj. (usu. attrib.)
1 first in position, importance, influence, etc. (chief engineer).
2 prominent, leading.

Idiom

Chief of Staff the senior staff officer of a service or command. -in-Chief supreme (Commander-in-Chief).

Derivative

chiefdom n.

Etymology

ME f. OF ch(i)ef ult. f. L caput head

THESAURUS

Chief

A per se, Big Brother, 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 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

ROGET THESAURUS

Chief

Importance

N importance, consequence, moment, prominence, consideration, mark, materialness, import, significance, concern, emphasis, interest, greatness, superiority, notability, weight, value, usefulness, gravity, seriousness, solemnity, no joke, no laughing matter, pressure, urgency, stress, matter of life and death, memorabilia, notabilia, great doings, red-letter day, great thing, great point, main chance, the be all and the end all, cardinal point, substance, gist, sum and substance, gravamen, head and front, important part, principal part, prominent part, essential part, half the battle, sine qua non, breath of one's nostrils, cream, salt, core, kernel, heart, nucleus, keynote, keystone, corner stone, trump card, salient points, top sawyer, first fiddle, prima donna, chief, triton among the minnows, 'it', important, of importance, momentous, material, to the point, not to be overlooked, not to be despised, not to be sneezed at, egregious, weighty, of note, notable, prominent, salient, signal, memorable, remarkable, unforgettable, worthy of remark, worthy of notice, never to be forgotten, stirring, eventful, grave, serious, earnest, noble, grand, solemn, impressive, commanding, imposing, urgent, pressing, critical, instant, paramount, essential, vital, all-absorbing, radical, cardinal, chief, main, prime, primary, principal, leading, capital, foremost, overruling, of vital importance in the front rank, first-rate, superior, considerable, marked, rare, significant, telling, trenchant, emphatic, pregnant, tanti, materially, in the main, above all, kat' exochin, par excellence, to crown all, to beat all, expende Hannibalem!, importance, consequence, moment, prominence, consideration, mark, materialness, import, significance, concern, emphasis, interest, greatness, superiority, notability, weight, value, usefulness, gravity, seriousness, solemnity, no joke, no laughing matter, pressure, urgency, stress, matter of life and death, memorabilia, notabilia, great doings, red-letter day, great thing, great point, main chance, the be all and the end all, cardinal point, substance, gist, sum and substance, gravamen, head and front, important part, principal part, prominent part, essential part, half the battle, sine qua non, breath of one's nostrils, cream, salt, core, kernel, heart, nucleus, keynote, keystone, corner stone, trump card, salient points, top sawyer, first fiddle, prima donna, chief, triton among the minnows, 'it', important, of importance, momentous, material, to the point, not to be overlooked, not to be despised, not to be sneezed at, egregious, weighty, of note, notable, prominent, salient, signal, memorable, remarkable, unforgettable, worthy of remark, worthy of notice, never to be forgotten, stirring, eventful, grave, serious, earnest, noble, grand, solemn, impressive, commanding, imposing, urgent, pressing, critical, instant, paramount, essential, vital, all-absorbing, radical, cardinal, chief, main, prime, primary, principal, leading, capital, foremost, overruling, of vital importance in the front rank, first-rate, superior, considerable, marked, rare, significant, telling, trenchant, emphatic, pregnant, tanti, materially, in the main, above all, kat' exochin, par excellence, to crown all, to beat all, expende Hannibalem!.

Master

N master, padrone, lord, lord paramount, commander, commandant, captain, chief, chieftain, sirdar, sachem, sheik, head, senior, governor, ruler, dictator, leader, boss, cockarouse, sagamore, werowance, lord of the ascendant, cock of the walk, cock of the roost, gray mare, mistress, potentate, liege, liege lord, suzerain, sovereign, monarch, autocrat, despot, tyrant, oligarch, crowned head, emperor, king, anointed king, majesty, imperator, protector, president, stadholder, judge, ceasar, kaiser, czar, tsar, sultan, soldan, grand Turk, caliph, imaum, shah, padishah, sophi, mogul, great mogul, khan, lama, tycoon, mikado, tenno, inca, cazique, voivode, landamman, seyyid, Abuna, cacique, czarowitz, grand seignior, prince, duke, archduke, doge, elector, seignior, marland, margrave, rajah, emir, wali, sheik nizam, nawab, empress, queen, sultana, czarina, princess, infanta, duchess, margravine, czarevna, czarita, maharani, rani, rectrix, regent, viceroy, exarch, palatine, khedive, hospodar, beglerbeg, three-tailed bashaw, pasha, bashaw, bey, beg, dey, scherif, tetrarch, satrap, mandarin, subahdar, nabob, maharajah, burgrave, laird, collector, commissioner, deputy commissioner, woon, the authorities, the powers that be, the government, staff, etat major, aga, official, man in office, person in authority, sircar, sirkar, Sublime Porte, marshal, field marshal, marechal, general, generalissimo, commander in chief, seraskier, hetman, lieutenant general, major general, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, centurion, skipper, lieutenant, first lieutenant, second lieutenant, sublieutenant, officer, staff officer, aide-de-camp, brigadier, brigade major, adjutant, jemidar, ensign, cornet, cadet, subaltern, noncommissioned officer, warrant officer, sergeant, sergeant major, color sergeant, corporal, corporal major, lance corporal, acting corporal, drum major, captain general, dizdar, knight marshal, naik, pendragon, mayor, mayoralty, prefect, chancellor, archon, provost, magistrate, syndic, alcalde, alcaid, burgomaster, corregidor, seneschal, alderman, councilman, committeeman, councilwoman, warden, constable, portreeve, lord mayor, officer, dewan, fonctionnaire, admiral, admiralty, rear admiral, vice admiral, port admiral, commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, skipper, mate, master, officer of the day, OD, navarch, da locum melioribus, der Furst ist der erste Diener seines Staats, the prince is the first servant of his state, lord of thy presence and no land beside.

Repute

N repute, distinction, mark, name, figure, repute, reputation, good repute, high repute, note, notability, notoriety, eclat, the bubble reputation, vogue, celebrity, fame, famousness, renown, popularity, aura popularis, approbation, credit, succes d'estime, prestige, talk of the town, name to conjure with, glory, honor, luster, illustriousness, account, regard, respect, reputableness, respectability, good name, good report, fair name, dignity, stateliness, solemnity, grandeur, splendor, nobility, majesty, sublimity, rank, standing, brevet rank, precedence, pas, station, place, status, position, position in society, order, degree, baccalaureate, locus standi, caste, condition, greatness, eminence, height, importance, preeminence, supereminence, high mightiness, primacy, top of the ladder, top of the tree, elevation, ascent, superaltation, exaltation, dignification, aggrandizement, dedication, consecration, enthronement, canonization, celebration, enshrinement, glorification, hero, man of mark, great card, celebrity, worthy, lion, rara avis, notability, somebody, classman, man of rank, pillar of the state, pillar of the church, pillar of the community, chief, first fiddle, cynosure, mirror, flower, pink, pearl, paragon, choice and master spirits of the age, elite, star, sun, constellation, galaxy, ornament, honor, feather in one's cap, halo, aureole, nimbus, halo of glory, blaze of glory, blushing honors, laurels, memory, posthumous fame, niche in the temple of fame, immortality, immortal name, magni nominis umbra, distinguished, distingue, noted, of note, honored, popular, fashionable, in good odor in, favor, in high favor, reputable, respectable, creditable, remarkable, notable, notorious, celebrated, renowned, ion every one's mouth, talked of, famous, famed, far-famed, conspicuous, to the front, foremost, in the front rank, in the ascendant, imperishable, deathless, immortal, never fading, aere perennius, time honored, illustrious, glorious, splendid, brilliant, radiant, bright, full-blown, honorific, eminent, prominent, high, in the zenith, at the head of, at the top of the tree, peerless, of the first water, superior, supereminent, preeminent, great, dignified, proud, noble, honorable, worshipful, lordly, grand, stately, august, princely, imposing, solemn, transcendent, majestic, sacred, sublime, heaven- born, heroic, sans peur et sans reproche, sacrosanct, Int, hail!, all hail!, ave!, viva!, vive!, long life to!, banzai!, glory be to, honor be to?, one's name being in every mouth, one's name living for ever, sic itur ad astra, fama volat, aut Caesar aut nullus, not to know him argues oneself unknown, none but himself could be his parallel, palmam qui meruit ferat, above all Greek above all Roman fame, cineri gloria sera est, great is the glory for the strife is hard, honor virtutis praemium, immensum gloria calcar habet, the glory dies not and the grief is past, vivit post funera virtus.