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.
In 1995, she was named chief of staff to Jacksonville’s mayor John Delaney, which gave her sweeping influence in the city. James C. Clark, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2025 After Devon makes a big scene, Kiki offers her a $10,000 payoff to leave the island and never return, and sends her away in the care of her chief of staff, Jose (Felix Solis), who drives Devon to a local inn to spend the night ahead of the morning ferry. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025 George Kaplan said he would often be given just a few hours' notice from Combs or his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, to ready hotel rooms in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Janelle Griffith, People.com, 21 May 2025 The Iranian's army chief of staff said the country's air defense capabilities have significantly increased, in preparedness for any violation of its airspace. Amira El-Fekki‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025 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

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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 4 Jun. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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