English → Latin
“chief” in Latin
caputthe head (of humans and animals); head; top; summit; point; end; extremity (beginning or end); origin; source; spring; hprī̆ncepsfirst, foremost; chief, distinguishedsignifersign-bearing, image-bearing,; bearing the heavenly signs or constellations, starryfaxtorch, firebrand; fireball, comet; cause of ruin, incitementduxleader, head; commander, general, captain; prince, rulerauctorseller, vendor; author, originator; sponsor, advocateimperōto command, give orders to, impose, demand; to rule, governpraetorleader, head, chief, president; praetor (office)prīmusfirst, early; chief, principal; most excellent, eminent; distinguished, noble; the first part of; the entrance, extremitsuperusabove, upper, higher
The English word chief itself goes back to Latin caput, through capus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
chief s.
caput; princeps; *reipublicae gerendae princeps: to make anybody the chief of a confederacy, *foederis principatum deferre alicui: the chief (in rank and dignity) of a state, vir primarius populi: dux (general term): auctor: princeps (he who takes the lead in anything).
Commander in chief, dux belli: imperator: praetor (leader in war, the latter especially of Greek commanders in chief στρατηγός).
Leader, caput: signifer: fax (chief of a party, a conspiracy, etc): the chief in a civil war (who gave the signal for its breaking out), tuba belli civilis (Cic. ad Div., 6, 12, 3): the chief of the cavalry, magister equitum; praefectus, with or without, equitum (general term).
chief adj.
primus (first in order or time, with others after him): summus: maximus: praecipuus (post-Augustan, principalis: except in causae principales: opposed to secondary causes): primarius (first in rank, dignity, or value). The chief men in the state, capita rerum or reipublicae: primores: primores civitatis or populi (by connections, birth, power, credit), principes (by intellect, talents, powers of debate, activity, etc.; hence distinguished above primores, who are a body): proceres (the chief by natural position, nobility opposed to commonally): optimates (as a political class, the aristocracy). The chief point, caput alicujus rei: summa alicujus rei: cardo alicujus rei (on which all turns, Varr. and Quint.): momentum (ῥοπή, the critical, decisive point). The chief good, summum bonum. It was always his chief care, ei semper maxima or antiquissima cura fuit: to make anything one’s chief business, omne studium in aliqua re ponere. This is the chief point, hoc caput est: hoc maximum or primum est.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for chief?
- The usual Latin words for “chief” are caput, prī̆nceps, signifer; also fax, dux, auctor. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.