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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Chieftain

/ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən/ · noun

Meaning

A leader of a clan or tribe..

Definitions by Sense

  1. A leader of a clan or tribe.
  2. (by extension) A leader of a group.

Example Sentences

VI. THE PUYUMA GROUP. The tribes belonging to this group occupy the plains in Hinan and that neighbourhood, and call themselves "Puyumas," but the Chinese call them the "Hinan Savages". The Puyumas formed a very powerful State some 300 years ago, and united under one single rule as many as seventy isolated tribes scattered over the land, stretching from Hakusekikwaku and Seikoko to Harogwai in the southern part of the island, and were at one time so powerful that the chieftain was called by foreigners "The King of Hinan".
They were probably the work of individual craftsmen working to meet the chieftains' needs. Their place in the chronology of the big cemeteries is indicated by the less richly-decorated double-springed bronze brooches which are found here.
The robber chieftain divided up the spoils.

Synonyms for chieftain

chiefbig gunbig shotbig wheelbigwigbossemployerforemanheadleadermandarinmanagermover and shakertop bananatop dogtycoonheadmantribal chiefcaptain

Antonyms for chieftain

Related Words

tribal chiefcaptainheadmanchiefringleaderbossleaderheadchefyamagatachieftaindomchieftainesschieftainrychieftaincyheadlingunderchieftainchieftesschieferyclanshipchiefe

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does chieftain mean?

Chieftain means A leader of a clan or tribe..

What is a synonym for chieftain?

Common synonyms include chief, big gun, big shot, big wheel.

What is the opposite of chieftain?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use chieftain in a sentence?

VI. THE PUYUMA GROUP. The tribes belonging to this group occupy the plains in Hinan and that neighbourhood, and call themselves "Puyumas," but the Chinese call them the "Hinan Savages". The Puyumas formed a very powerful State some 300 years ago, and united under one single rule as many as seventy isolated tribes scattered over the land, stretching from Hakusekikwaku and Seikoko to Harogwai in the southern part of the island, and were at one time so powerful that the chieftain was called by foreigners "The King of Hinan".

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.