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

Musk was quote tweeting a post and video from a young German YouTuber with 300,000 followers who had criticized Friedrich Merz, the man who could be the next chancellor of Germany with its parliament dissolved this week following a no confidence vote. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024

Kendall Ross, associate vice chancellor for economic and workforce development at UAFS, emphasized the initiative's importance for the region's economic growth. —Randal Seyler, arkansasonline.com, 19 Dec. 2024

The chancellor and his conservative challenger, Friedrich Merz, who surveys suggest is likely to replace him, charged each other with incompetence and lack of vision. —Fox News, 16 Dec. 2024

The species was named by amateur Austrian entomologist Oskar Scheibel as a tribute to Adolf Hitler, who had just become Germany’s chancellor and would go on to become a brutal dictator. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024

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