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Chief vs Sovereign - What's the difference?

chief | sovereign | Synonyms |

Chief is a synonym of sovereign.


As nouns the difference between chief and sovereign

is that chief is (senseid)a leader or head of a group of people, organisation, etc while sovereign is a monarch; the ruler of a country.

As adjectives the difference between chief and sovereign

is that chief is primary; principal while sovereign is exercising power of rule.

chief

English

(wikipedia chief)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (senseid)A leader or head of a group of people, organisation, etc.
  • * 1994 , Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom , Abacus 2010, p. 4:
    • My father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a chief by both blood and custom.
  • (heraldiccharge) The top part of a shield or escutcheon.
  • * 1889 , Charles Norton Elvin, A Dictionary of Heraldry :
    • When the Chief' is Charged with any figure, in blazon it is said to be "''On a '''Chief ".
  • (senseid)A head officer in a department, organization etc.; a boss.
    • All firefighters report to the fire chief .
  • An informal address to an equal.
    • Hey, chief.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    (chief) * chief constable * chiefess * chief executive * chief executive officer/CEO * chief legal officer * chief mate * chief of staff * chief of state * chief petty officer * commander in chief * dexter chief * editor in chief * fire chief * in chief * police chief * war chief

    Related terms

    * captain * chef * chieftain

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Primary; principal.
    • Negligence was the chief cause of the disaster.

    See also

    * chef

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    sovereign

    English

    (wikipedia sovereign)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Exercising power of rule.
    • sovereign nation
  • Exceptional in quality.
  • Extremely potent or effective (of a medicine, remedy etc.).
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , III.v:
    • The soueraigne weede betwixt two marbles plaine / She pownded small, and did in peeces bruze, / And then atweene her lilly handes twaine, / Into his wound the iuyce thereof did scruze
  • * (rfdate) Dryden
    • a sovereign remedy
  • * (rfdate) South
    • Such a sovereign influence has this passion upon the regulation of the lives and actions of men.
  • Having supreme, ultimate power.
  • Princely; royal.
  • * (rfdate) Shakespeare
    • most sovereign name
  • Predominant; greatest; utmost; paramount.
  • * (rfdate) Hooker
    • We acknowledge him [God] our sovereign good.

    Derived terms

    * sovereignly

    Synonyms

    * autonomous * supreme

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A monarch; the ruler of a country.
  • * Jefferson
    • No question is to be made but that the bed of the Mississippi belongs to the sovereign , that is, to the nation.
  • One who is not a subject to a ruler or nation.
  • A gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling but in practice used as a bullion coin.
  • A very large champagne bottle with the capacity of about 25 liters, equivalent to 33? standard bottles.
  • Any butterfly of the tribe , as the (ursula) and the viceroy.

    • Hyponyms

    * (monarch) king, queen

    Derived terms

    * sovereignty

    See also

    * half sovereign/half-sovereign English words not following the I before E except after C rule