What’s the plural of “chief”?
The chiefs from all the tribes gathered for the council.
Several police chiefs attended the conference on public safety.
All the chieves met to discuss the new rules.
There were three new fire chief appointed this year.
Chief plural is chiefs. Unlike similar nouns that also end in sibilants and use -ves as a pl. n., chief simply adds an -s to denote its plural noun. In this way, chiefs (pl. n.) is similar to words like cliff, the plural of which is cliffs. Also, proof plural is proofs, and safe: safes.
What’s the singular of chief?
Chief is singular.
What does the word chief mean?
The word chief (sing. n.) is defined as “the person who is the leader of a group of people, of an organization, etc.” Chief is also sometimes used as an adjective, (which makes this word a homophone, or a word that’s pronounced and sounds the same as another word in English, but holds a different meaning.) In its adjectival form, chief means “highest in rank or authority,” and “most important”, as in: he has many concerns, chief among them his health.
Other words ending in -f or -ff / -s
| singular | plural |
|---|---|
| roof | roofs |
| cliff | cliffs |
| proof | proofs |
| chief | chiefs |
| belief | beliefs |
The plural of chief is chiefs, adding only -s. It’s like proofs, not loaves.
Examples of the word chief used in sentences
1. The district police chief was also hurt in the attack. Times, Sunday Times (2011)
2. The job went to one of his chief rivals.
3. Highly respected, he was tipped at one point to become lord chief justice.
4. The chief medical officer said she had no plans to stop working and urged others to follow suit if they want to boost their life expectancy. The Sun (2016)
5. This alliance had as its chief purpose heading off popular resistance movements.
Examples of the word chiefs used in sentences
The chiefs rely on their judgment and influence.
On the plain Zarko bumped into one of the army chiefs who normally rode with his father
The third crusade numbered among its chiefs Floris III.
The chiefs were motionless.
Below these came the Eiki or chiefs, and next to them the class called Matapule.
Synonyms for chief
- leading
- main
- preeminent
- prime
- principal
Origin of the word chief
From etymology online on chief (n.),
“c. 1300, “head, leader, captain; the principal or most important part of anything;” from Old French chief “leader, ruler, head” of something, “capital city”.
What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
Work Sheet
What is the correct plural form of the noun “chief”?
According to the post, which of the following words forms its plural similarly to “chief”?
Which form is identified in the blog post as the INCORRECT plural of “chief”?
What is the singular form of the noun “chief”?
The post notes that “chiefs” is similar to the plural of which other word listed?
Several police attended the conference on public safety.
The district police was also hurt in the attack.
Unlike nouns that form their plural using -ves, “chief” simply adds an -s, similar to how the plural of “belief” is .
The blog post explicitly states that is an incorrect plural form of “chief”.
The from all the tribes gathered for the council.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the plural of “chief”?
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Is “chieves” the correct plural?
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How do I form the plural of “chief”?
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What does the word “chief” mean?
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Can you give an example using “chiefs”?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Plural of Chief?." Grammarflex, Jun 21, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-chief/.
Sources
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Definition of chief.
