chief meaning
chief :
main, most important
adjective
▪ The chief reason is clear.
▪ The main reason is clear.
▪ His chief concern is safety.
▪ His main worry is safety.
paraphrasing
▪ main – most important
▪ primary – first in importance
▪ principal – most important
▪ leading – most important
chief :
leader, head
noun
▪ The chief spoke to the team.
▪ The leader talked to the team.
▪ She is the chief of the department.
▪ She is the head of the department.
paraphrasing
▪ leader – head
▪ boss – person in charge
▪ head – leader
▪ director – head
Pronunciation
chief [tʃiːf]
The stress is on the whole word and sounds like 'cheef'.
Common phrases and grammar about chief
chief - Common meaning
adjective
main, most important
noun
leader, head
Part of Speech Changes for "chief"
▪ chiefly (adverb) – mainly, mostly
▪ chiefdom (noun) – the area or people ruled by a chief
Common Expressions with "chief"
▪ chief executive – main leader
▪ chief concern – main worry
▪ chief reason – main reason
▪ chief officer – main officer
Important examples of chief in TOEIC
Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test
In TOEIC vocabulary questions, chief is often used to describe the main reason or person in charge.
Example of a confusing word: chef (a professional cook)
Grammar examples from the TOEIC test
Chief is often used as an adjective in TOEIC grammar questions to describe the most important thing.
chief
Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC
chief executive officer
'main leader of a company', often used in business contexts.
chief cook and bottle washer
means 'a person who does many tasks', used humorously.
Differences between similar words and chief
chief
,
principal
differences
Chief refers to the most important person or thing, while principal often refers to the main part or leader of a school.
chief
,
leader
differences
Chief often implies a formal title, while leader is more general and can refer to anyone who leads.
Words with the same origin as chief
The origin of chief
Chief comes from the Latin 'caput', meaning 'head', and evolved to mean leader or main part.
Word structure
The word has no clear prefix or suffix; it directly relates to the root 'caput' meaning head.
Words with the same origin
The root of chief is caput (head). Words with the same root include captain (leader of a ship) and capital (city or wealth).
Please select an image in the quiz
Previous post and next post
Same category words
human resources, hiring
chief
main, most important
current post
1361
Visitors & Members
