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
Examples of chancellor in a Sentence
the new chancellor of the university
Recent Examples on the Web
About 150 community members rallied Thursday at UCLA in front of Murphy Hall, which houses the chancellor’s office.
—
Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s incoming chancellor, has also ruled out arresting Mr. Netanyahu, even as Germany remains a committed member of the International Criminal Court.
—Katrin Bennhold, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
State is hiring Krista Walton from Georgia Tech to become the school's vice chancellor for research and innovation.
—Zachery Eanes, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025
That may have prevented him from becoming the first chancellor of the school, which opened in 1960.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chancellor
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Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s incoming chancellor, has also ruled out arresting Mr. Netanyahu, even as Germany remains a committed member of the International Criminal Court.
—Katrin Bennhold, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
State is hiring Krista Walton from Georgia Tech to become the school's vice chancellor for research and innovation.
—Zachery Eanes, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025
That may have prevented him from becoming the first chancellor of the school, which opened in 1960.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chancellor
Cite this Entry
“Chancellor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chancellor. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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