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

Spokesmen for the event and for CUNY confirmed it was called off minutes after it was supposed to begin, which was also supposed to include Rep. Adriano Espaillat, former Congressman Charles Rangel and the CUNY chancellor. —Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025

Andrey Sidorov, dean of the Faculty of World Politics at Moscow State University, noted that Friedrich Merz, who is expected to be Germany's next chancellor, plans to continue the European nation's support for Ukraine. —David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025

While the AfD are unlikely to join the government, their concerns over immigration will likely set the tone - at least tacitly - for Friedrich Merz, likely the country’s next chancellor. —Frey Lindsay, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

This puts the party’s lead candidate Friedrich Merz in prime position to take over from Olaf Scholz as chancellor. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 24 Feb. 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