chancellor

noun

chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər 

1

a

: the secretary of a nobleman, prince, or king

b

: the lord chancellor of Great Britain

c

British : the chief secretary of an embassy

d

: a Roman Catholic priest heading the office in which diocesan business is transacted and recorded

2

a

: the titular head of a British university

b(1)

: a university president

(2)

: the chief executive officer in some state systems of higher education

3

a

: a lay legal officer or adviser of an Anglican diocese

b

: a judge in a court of chancery or equity in various states of the U.S.

4

: the chief minister of state in some European countries

chancellorship

ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər-ˌship 

noun

Examples of chancellor in a Sentence

the new chancellor of the university

Recent Examples on the Web

Glenn Hegar, named chancellor of the Texas A&M University System on July 1, is a former Texas comptroller. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025

Nelms served as chancellor of Indiana University East from 1987–1994 and chancellor of the University of Michigan at Flint from 1994–1998. —Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2025

President Paul von Hindenburg, an aging war hero, continued to cycle through chancellors, unable to find anyone who could command the support of a majority of parliamentarians or contain Germany’s deepening economic crisis. —Daniel Ziblatt, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025

George Osborne, the incoming chancellor, called for the fiscal framework to be reformed as the new government — which had inherited a deficit to GDP ratio of 10% deficit — battled to maintain the confidence of the bond markets in the wake of the global financial crisis. —Ian King, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English chanceler, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin cancellarius doorkeeper, secretary, from cancellus

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing chancellor

• chancellor of the exchequer
• lord chancellor
• vice chancellor

Kids Definition

chancellor

noun

chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan(t)-s(ə-)lər 

1

: the chief minister of state in some European countries

2

: the head of a university

Legal Definition

chancellor

noun

chan·​cel·​lor ˈchan-sə-lər 

1

: the head of a chancery: as

a

: the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain

b

: a judge in a court of equity in various states

2

a

: a university president

b

: the chief executive officer in some state systems of higher education

3

: the chief minister of state in some European countries (as Germany)

Etymology

Old French chancelier royal secretary, from Late Latin cancellarius doorkeeper, clerk, from Latin cancellus latticework barrier