From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishchiefchief1 /tʃiːf/ ●●● S2 W2 adjective 1 HIGH POSITION OR RANK[only before noun] highest in rank He was recently appointed chief economist at the Bank of Scotland. the government’s chief medical officer2 MAINmost important SYN main, → chiefly One of the chief causes of crime today is drugs. Safety is our chief concern. The chief reason for this is that people are living longer. his chief rival for the job the prosecution’s chief witness She had many reasons for taking the money, but chief among them was revenge.► see thesaurus at important, main3 → chief cook and bottle washer
Examples from the Corpus
chief• He was soon appointed chief engineer of the subsidiary company, Ashmore, Benson, Pease & Co.• Mr Caserta led Caserta as president and chief executive.• The duchess's chief failing seems to me an inability even to spell perjury.• Advertising provides the radio station's chief form of revenue.• Troops have been stationed in the chief fortresses of the country.• The chief internal auditor must be assisted by sufficient staff of the right quality and quantity.• Rehnquist is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.• the chief medical officer• Matthew had made his fire plan and cleared it with chief officer of the Wellingham fire brigade.• The chief policeman went on talking with the Brooks Brothers clerk, seemingly unperturbed by the size and mood of the mob.• The new chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, may make a difference.chief causes• In due course the numbers will be drastically reduced by natural mortalities, disease and predators being the chief causes.• One of the chief causes at the present time was the increase in interest rates, especially for the self-employed.• Criminologists have long argued that one of the chief causes of crime is fear of crime.• In women aged 65 and older, spasms are one of the chief causes of loss of bladder control.chiefchief2 ●●● W3 noun [countable] 1 somebody in charge of an organizationIN CHARGE OF the most important person, or one of the most important people, in a company or organization – used especially in job titles and in news reportspolice/army/fire etc chief Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williamschief of the British Chief of Defence Staff Most health chiefs believe the reforms have gone too far. industry chiefscommander-in-chief/editor-in-chief etc (=used in job titles for people with the highest rank) They offered him the position of editor-in-chief.2 ruler of tribePGHIGH POSITION OR RANK the ruler of a tribe the Zulu leader, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi Native American tribal chiefs3 → too many chiefs and not enough Indians4 → great white chiefExamples from the Corpus
chief• But Yeltsin has met with only a handful of people in recent weeks, including Chernomyrdin and chief of staff Anatoly Chubais.• That makes him chief of the largest urban forestry program in the nation.• But the then naval chief suspended the prison sentences; the men returned the money and were dismissed from the navy.• the police chief• His arms and legs were eaten by the principal chiefs of the nation, and the rest distributed among the people.• The role of the chief is crucial.• Then the chief insulted him and the pony, saying the animal looked just like a mud pony.• a Native American tribal chief• He was chief of SAS flight operations in Stockholm.• Jeremy Boorda, who was chief of naval operations.police/army/fire etc chief• An attempt was made to blow up a police chief.• In an announcement, Army Chief of Staff Gen.• Gerry de Silva was formally appointed army Chief of Staff on Oct. 23.• After all, there was no reason for the Bullens Creek police chief to lie about it.• My father knew everybody from the police chief to the governor.• Smiling residents stroll along a cozy, old-fashioned street; the police chief stops and chats with passing motorists.tribal chiefs• It was largely due to him that I managed to negotiate successfully with government officials and tribal chiefs during the months that followed.• But much of it also went into the unbridled and anachronistic opulence of the royal family and the main tribal chiefs.• He curbed the tribal chiefs and imposed a secular legal code.Origin chief2 (1200-1300) Old French “head, chief”, from Latin caput “head” 