Definition

A leader or head of a group, particularly one that belongs to a clan or tribe.

Example

The chieftain called a meeting to discuss the tribe's future.

Conversation

Did you hear about the new chieftain in the village?

Yeah, I heard he’s really popular among the people.

I wonder what changes he will bring to our community as the chieftain.

It'll be interesting to see how he leads us in the coming months.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Chieftain is formed from "chief" (from Old French *chief*, meaning leader or head) and "-tain" (from Old French *tain*, a suffix denoting a person). The word refers to a person who is the leader or head of a group or tribe.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'chief' as the leader, and the '-tain' just means a person. A chieftain is a person who leads.

Visually Confused Words