Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
chief (adjective)1.
accorded highest rank or office - chief librarian
2.
of greatest importance or influence - the chief reasons
archaic - chiefly
1.
the upper part of a heraldic field
2.
the head of a body of persons or an organization - leader chief of police
3.
the principal or most valuable part - would never rest till she had read the chief of the letter to him Jane Austen
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
chief (adjective)1.
coming before all others in importance
SYNONIMS:
arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one ( No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign ( sovran), supremeRELATED WORDS:
distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled ( unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNEAR ANTONYMS:
inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary2.
highest in rank or authority
SYNONIMS:
chief, commanding, first, foremost, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, prime, principal, supereminent, supreme, topRELATED WORDS:
high-level, senior; controlling, directing, managing, officiating, overseeing, regnant, reigning, ruling, supervisory; main, major, paramount, predominant, predominate, sovereign ( sovran); ascendant ( ascendent), dominant, grand, superior, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermostNEAR ANTONYMS:
ancillary, inferior, last, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary; assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under1.
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts
SYNONIMS:
brunt, bulk, chief, core, generality, heft, main, mass, staple, weightRELATED WORDS:
majority; aggregate, amount, entirety, quantum, sum, sum total, total, totality, whole; bottom, essence, essentiality, marrow, meat, nature, pith, quintessence, root, soul, stuff, substance; center, heart, hub, kernel, middle, nucleus, nut, seat; affair, argument, burden, crux, focus, gist, nub, pitch, point, purport; matter, motif, subject, text, theme, topicNEAR ANTONYMS:
accessory ( accessary), adjunct, appendage, extension, offshoot; component, constituent, element, ingredient; division, part, piece, section, segment; angle, aspect, facet, feature, quality, side2.
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
SYNONIMS:
boss man, captain, chief, foreman, head, headman, helmsman, honcho, jefe, kingpin, leader, master, taskmasterRELATED WORDS:
directress, mistress; administrator, commander, director, executive, general, governor, hierarch, higher-up; leadman, manager, overseer, principal, skipper, standard-bearer, steward, straw boss, superintendent, superior, supervisor; dominator, lord, overlord, potentate, ruler, sovereign ( sovran); figurehead; slave driver; baron, czar ( tsar tzar), king, magnate, mogul, president, prince; big cheese, big gun, bigwig, top dog, top gun; cohead, coleader; employer, gaffer [], ganger []; micromanager; subchief, subdirectorNEAR ANTONYMS:
dependent, inferior, junior, secondary, subject, subordinate, underling