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chief of state
noun phrase
: the formal head of a national state as distinguished from the head of the government
Examples of chief of state in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The strong prospect of a female chief of state in Mexico comes after years of political gains for women.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Then, in June 1940, France fell to Nazi Germany, and the Socialists voted to support Philippe Pétain as chief of state of the French government at Vichy.
—James E. Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chief of state.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1948, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to chief of state
Dictionary Entries Near chief of state
Cite this Entry
“Chief of state.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief%20of%20state. Accessed 21 Sep. 2024.
Kids Definition
chief of state
: the head of a country when not the same person as the head of the country's government
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