/ tʃiːf; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective [ only before noun ]
1.
most important :
the chief cause / problem / reason
one of the President's chief rivals
➡ note at main
2.
(often Chief ) highest in rank :
the Chief Education Officer
the chief financial officer of the company
Detective Chief Inspector Williams
3.
-in-ˈchief (in nouns) of the highest rank :
commander-in-chief
—see also chiefly
■ noun
1.
a person with a high rank or the highest rank in a company or an organization :
army / industry / police chiefs
2.
(often as a title) a leader or ruler of a people or community :
Chief Buthelezi
Chief Crazy Horse
•
IDIOMS
- too many chiefs and not enough Indians
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French chief , chef , based on Latin caput head.