chief

chief — adjective

1. describes the thing that matters more than any other in a particular situation o

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes the thing that matters more than any other in a particular situation or group — for example, the chief worry for a family moving abroad is usually finding a good school.

例句

One of our chief goals this year is to reduce waste in the factory.

position: only before noun

The chief advantage of living in a small town is the sense of community.

同義詞
  • main

    more common in everyday speech; interchangeable in most contexts

  • primary

    slightly more formal; often used for stages or order (primary vs secondary)

  • principal

    formal; common in legal or financial contexts (principal reason, principal amount)

  • key

    emphasises that something is essential for a result to happen

反義詞
  • minor

    less important; opposite in degree

  • secondary

    comes second in importance or order

用法筆記

Only used before a noun — you can say 'the chief problem' but not 'the problem is chief'. Often pairs with nouns like reason, concern, goal, advantage, cause.

常見錯誤

❌The chief problem is expensive.' (trying to use as complement).
✅The chief problem is the cost.
💡chief must come before the noun it describes.

2. used in job titles to show that someone holds the highest position or rank withi

2.形容詞B2
釋義

used in job titles to show that someone holds the highest position or rank within an organisation — for example, a chief economist is the top economist at a bank or government agency.

例句

The chief engineer approved the final design for the bridge.

collocation: chief + job title

Dr. Okafor was named chief medical officer at the city hospital.

同義詞
  • head

    less formal; used in 'head teacher', 'head of department'

  • lead

    used in 'lead singer', 'lead investigator'; emphasises the guiding role

  • senior

    indicates higher rank but not necessarily the very highest

反義詞

用法筆記

Always appears directly before a job title. The titles chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), and chief operating officer (COO) are common in business and are often abbreviated.

常見錯誤

❌She is a chief in the hospital.' (vague).
✅She is the chief surgeon at the hospital.' (must be followed by a specific title).

chief — noun