chief of staff

noun phrase

1
: the ranking officer of a staff in the armed forces serving as principal adviser to a commander
2
: the ranking officer of the army or air force and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Examples of chief of staff in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And then there’s Jordan Wood, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who ran unsuccessfully for Golden’s open House seat, coming in third. — Philip Elliott, Time, 7 July 2026 McCarthy’s deputy chief of staff, John Leganski, wrote in a book released last week that McHenry only learned his name was at the top of McCarthy’s list the night prior. — Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026 Anderson has since remarried and currently works as chief of staff for corporate development at payment technology company Celero Commerce. — Bryan West, USA Today, 4 July 2026 In 2013, Scott Haggerty’s longtime chief of staff, Chris Gray, filed a high-profile whistleblower and wrongful termination suit after he was let go. — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chief of staff

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chief of staff was in 1862

Rhymes for chief of staff

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Browse Nearby Words

chief of police
chief of staff
chief of state
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Cite this Entry

“Chief of staff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chief%20of%20staff. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

chief of staff

1
: the ranking officer of a staff in the armed forces who advises a commander
2
: the ranking officer of the army or air force
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